Finding Poppy
by Black Raider
Summary: When his only daughter is taken away from him, one troll will have to cross the forest to find her with the help of another troll whose memory is on the fritz. Meanwhile, his daughter will have to learn to survive while a cripple. "Finding Nemo" adaptation! Rated T for mild blood and violence, just to be safe.
1. A Little Bit of Hope

**A/N: Welcome to my newest adaptation! Since I was on such a roll with these things, I want to write more if I get inspired enough. I don't want to just copy a movie and plop in the** _ **Trolls**_ **characters. I want to follow the general "road map" of the movie's plot while making the story more my own. I hope I can do that with this one.**

 **Responses to reviews from** _ **Flame of Happiness Part 2**_ **:**

 **Reby Montana – Thank you for your help in Part 2, and all the suggestions for Part 3. Hope this story will keep you busy until Part 3!**

 **Neomoon585 – You were a great help in** _ **Flame of Happiness,**_ **and I hope you can help me in Part 3, too. I'm glad you picked up on that imprinting thing with Branch and Rosiepuff. I wanted to show the source of their strong bond by making Rosiepuff the first troll Branch saw. And, yes, that was a Big Bang Theory reference.**

 **TAPDANCING GIRAF – Thank you! You know I'm going to torture my readers now and then, but there will be plenty of sweetness and family fluff to rot your teeth.**

 **Guest – Remember, in Part 1, in a flashback, we see that Larch died because he was taken at Trollstice. As for his reaction to Stella's death, I guess I'm leaving that to the readers to imagine. The crystals will be explained in Part 3.**

 **Cupcake – Stella was one of my favorite characters to write. I'm glad you liked her!**

 **I hope you enjoy this one! Quick note: troll pregnancies in this story are like human pregnancies. That'll make sense in a minute.**

* * *

 **Finding Poppy**

 **Chapter One – A Little Bit of Hope**

"Wow."

"Mm-hmm."

"I mean, just…...wow…..."

"Yes, indeed."

"Are you seeing this?"

"I have two working eyes; so, yes, I'm seeing it."

The troll chuckled, putting an arm around his wife and pulling her close. The male had peach-colored skin, wild magenta hair, an equally unkempt mustache, and dark hazel eyes. He dressed in brown pants and a teal vest. The female troll had cotton candy pink skin, rosy pink eyes, and spring green hair. She wore a pair of blue capris and a white blouse.

"You _did_ say you wanted a view, Joy." The male troll pointed out. "Didn't think you'd get the whole forest _and_ the meadow, huh?" He nudged her playfully. "Come on, say it. Did your man deliver or did he deliver?"

"Yes, Peppy." Joy rolled her eyes with a laugh. "My man delivered. He did, indeed." She took a look around their new home. The two of them married just three years ago, and spent much of their newlywed life in a pod deeper in the forest. But with a new addition coming to their family soon, they saw the need to move someplace that would be ideal not just for them but for their future family. Peppy found the perfect tree on the edge of a wide meadow, where there were plenty of places for their children to explore and play. Their pod hung securely, providing cozy shelter for the troll family.

Peppy inhaled deeply, he and Joy standing on a branch right outside their home. "You smell that? That's fresh air. A troll can breathe out here!"

"Peppy, it's wonderful." Joy said. "It'll be a lovely place to explore, and the neighborhood is great." She glanced to some of the neighboring pods and saw several other trolls talking, playing, and singing. Joy pondered their new home for a moment. "You don't think this is too much space, do you? I know the homes by the meadow are always sought after, but what if it's too much?"

"Sweetheart, this is our kids we're talking about." Peppy said. "Think about it: they wake up one morning, poke their heads out the window, and then—" He gasped excitedly, earning a laugh from his mate. "—they see a hill creature! Right outside their bedroom!"

"I suppose that _would_ be exciting for them." Joy let out a surprised gasp, placing her hand on her swollen stomach. "The twins are quite active today."

"Well, they must be excited to get out and about." Peppy said. Joy was eight months pregnant, after all. It was only a matter of time before the twins would be born. Dr. Plum, a friend of Joy's and Peppy's, promised she would be over as soon as possible once Joy went into labor.

"Just think: in less than a month, we're going to be parents!" Joy squealed excitedly as she and Peppy headed back into their pod house.

"I had always been excited for this." Peppy said. "Now, I'm just nervous. We're ready for this, right?"

"Well, ready or not, they're coming." Joy said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"But what if they get sick?"

"We have a doctor on call."

"What if they don't make any friends?"

"With how we raise them, I'm sure they'll be fine."

"What if they're picky eaters?"

"You better set a good example for them, then."

"What if they don't like me?"

"Oh, Peppy." Joy laughed, heading for the kitchen.

"No, really." Peppy insisted as he followed his wife.

"We're having twins. At least one of them will surely like you." Joy said, pulling down her recipe box. "And you're their father. Why _wouldn't_ they like you?"

"I dunno." Peppy shrugged. "Just new-father fears, I guess."

Joy hummed in thought as she browsed for a good dinner dish. "You know, we still haven't picked names for them."

"Oh, that's simple enough." Peppy said. "If it's a boy, Peppy Jr. If it's a girl, Joy Junior. See? We're done."

"We're having _two_ babies. We may end up with two boys or two girls." Joy reminded him.

"Well what did you have in mind?" Peppy asked.

Joy thought for a moment. "I like 'Poppy.'"

"Poppy." Peppy repeated slowly. "Okay, if we have girls, we'll name one of them Poppy. But if we get a boy, I want at least one of them to be Peppy Junior. We could call him PJ!"

Joy laughed, shaking her head and causing her ponytail to swish back and forth. Peppy stared with a fond smile on his face. How did he get so lucky as to have this troll as his mate? This beautiful creature was his wife for the rest of their lives. Boy, was he lucky.

"What?" Joy asked, finally noticing the look Peppy gave her.

"Just remembering how we first met." Peppy shrugged. "You remember?"

"I try not to." Joy said, pulling out a frying pan.

"Well, I remember it quite well." Peppy scooted closer to her. "The spirit of the holidays in the air. The stars sparkling above us. The music pulling people into a dance. And the loveliest troll I had ever laid eyes on just standing off to one side, all shy and nervous."

"Mm-hmm." Joy hummed, continuing to pull out utensils for dinner.

"And you just so happened to be standing under the mistletoe. And I scooted right over," Peppy moved so he stood right next to Joy. "I leaned in….."

Joy held up the frying pan, and Peppy ended up kissing that instead of her. "And I think I slapped you, if I recall correctly."

Peppy laughed. "Yes, that you did. So, I invited you out to dance to apologize." He suddenly scooped up his wife into a waltz across their kitchen. "And we spun and danced around like the night would never end!"

Joy squeaked and laughed in surprise. "Peppy, put me down!" But she could hardly speak when she kept laughing. Peppy continued to spin her around crazily until they both had to stop from their dizziness. The two trolls laughed, still connected in a loose embrace. Joy caught Peppy off-guard this time and kissed him. They stayed locked in that position for a minute, and then pressed their foreheads together. Joy still thought Peppy was crazy and silly, but she loved him with all her heart. She looked forward to raising their children in this pod, and growing old with this whacky troll she called her husband.

Peppy put a hand to Joy's stomach. "It's almost like they're dancing in there, too."

"Go on. Say 'hello.'" Joy said.

Peppy chuckled and knelt down. "Hello in there." He said to Joy's stomach. "It's your daddy. I'm very excited to meet you two. This world is so much fun. You have so much to see when you get out here." He could feel the kicks from the babies. "I love you already."

Joy pulled Peppy into another warm embrace. "You're going to be a great dad."

* * *

The next day, Peppy realized they hadn't gotten food for their new home. He wasn't quite sure where to find it in this part of the forest. Though he hated to leave his wife all alone, he worried more about them having access to food, especially in the winter.

"I'll only be gone a little while." Peppy told Joy as she escorted him out. "I may talk to some of the neighbors on the way, but I won't be gone long."

"Peppy, I'll be fine." Joy assured. "These babies aren't coming for a while. Just go. I'll stay right at home."

"Okay. And our neighbors in the tree next door know about the babies. They'll come right over if you call." Peppy hugged and kissed his wife goodbye, and he departed from the tree. Joy watched him go, giggling amusedly at his concern. Sometimes it felt like Peppy worried too much. Being eight months pregnant did not make her helpless. In fact, she had some laundry she wanted to finish today.

Joy hummed to herself as she dragged the laundry basket behind her. She couldn't wait for the twins to be born so she could move without the restrictions of a swollen stomach. Until then, she would work around it. Joy sang softly as she hung up the laundry on the clothesline outside. She patted her stomach a few times, thinking of all the songs she would sing with her children.

Halfway through her chore, Joy suddenly felt like something was off. Her singing trailed off to silence, and she realized the entire forest seemed quiet. Joy looked around. None of the neighbors were out, which was odd. Usually, in the afternoons, the trolls would be out and about. The kids would be playing. But now, there was nothing and nobody. Once more, Joy felt that strange feeling, like she should start running.

 _Hsssss_

Joy's eyes widened. Very slowly, her eyes traveled upwards.

A green-yellow, brown-spotted snake lay coiled around a branch several feet above her. It opened its mouth and hissed again, revealing sharp teeth and even sharper fangs. Joy stood perfectly still, her pink eyes locked with the snake's yellow ones. These spotted snakes loved to eat small mammals, like trolls. With Joy all alone and without a way to fight the snake, she may become its next meal. This would be one of those moments where being pregnant seriously worked against her. She couldn't outrun the snake in her condition. Above all else, she couldn't let her unborn babies get hurt.

 _Maybe if I just sneak back towards the house._ Joy thought. _I'm not that far away._ She took a slow step backwards. The snake hissed at her, but didn't move. Joy tried to take another step, then another, and another, and—

Suddenly, Joy kicked her laundry basket and she jumped. The snake lunged for her, mouth open wide. Joy grabbed the laundry basket with her hair and threw it right into the snake's gullet. While the snake gagged and choked, Joy ran as fast as she could and practically dove into her house, barricading the entrance. She panted heavily, praying this encounter didn't scare her into an early labor.

All of a sudden, the pod jerked to one side and Joy fell to the ground. She heard hissing from outside, and something struck the pod again. Then, the snake grabbed the pod in its teeth and began to shake it vigorously. Joy held tight to the doorframe leading to the kitchen. When the snake pulled the pod off the tree and threw it to the ground, the impact forced Joy from her safe spot. Luckily, she landed on the couch, and she had just enough time to get out of the way before a bookshelf fell on her.

Joy tried to crawl out the window, but the pod rolled and her escape was blocked. The snake tore open the pod house, searching for its meal. Joy grabbed the fire poker and swung it towards the snake, hoping to frighten it away. It didn't seem to work, and the snake tried to lunge a few times. Joy managed to get one lucky hit in and tried to run while the snake was distracted.

But, with her guard down, the snake had a chance to lunge again with lightning-like speed.

A scream of agony ripped free from Joy's throat as the snake's fangs pierced her body. She stabbed the point of the fire poker into the snake's eye. That's when the snake finally let go, and it reared back as it hissed in pain.

" _Get away from my wife!"_

The snake suddenly found itself whipped across the face with a length of dark pink hair. Peppy ran fearlessly up to the snake, striking it repeatedly with his hair. The snake finally decided it wouldn't be worth it to try and eat the troll it bit. So the scaly creature slithered away to escape the onslaught of attacks.

Peppy watched the snake leave, and then hurried to his destroyed house. "Joy!" He scanned the wreckage and spotted his beloved wife lying limply on the overturned couch. Peppy gingerly lifted her into his arms and brought her out of the house. He knelt on the ground, cradling Joy and assessing her injuries. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, and blood stained her blouse deep red. One of the fangs hit her shoulder, and the tiny front teeth pierced her chest. The other fang, to Peppy's horror, had gone into her stomach.

Joy wheezed a little, staring at Peppy with half-lidded eyes. "Babies….."

"I don't know." Peppy had no medicinal knowledge. He could only assume his children did not survive. "It'll be all right. Just stay with me, okay?"

Joy shakily put a hand on her bloody stomach. _My babies…_

Peppy took Joy's hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly. "Joy, just hang on. We can have more kids. But I can't lose you. I can't get another mate as wonderful as you."

Joy stared up at him. She smiled softly. "Be strong…always strong before…..don't give up…"

"I won't. I won't, I promise." Peppy hugged her gently. "Just don't give up on me now. Stay with me, Joy, please."

Joy weakly raised her free hand and put it to Peppy's cheek. She was too weak to go up towards him, so she simply guided him down so they could share one last kiss. "I love you…"

"I love you, too." Peppy breathed, resting his forehead against her head. He hooked an arm under Joy's legs and lifted her up. "Hang on, Joy. Stay with me."

Peppy ran as fast as he could without jostling Joy to much. Dr. Plum's tree was just a short distance away, but it felt like hours passed by the time Peppy got there. When Dr. Plum heard Peppy shouting, she and a couple other trolls took Joy into an operating room to try and save her life and the lives of the twins. Peppy paced anxiously in the waiting room of the large pod. Dr. Plum's hospital was made of one large pod and multiple little ones that served as resting rooms for patients. One of the nurses came by to attempt to calm Peppy. He still had bloodstains on his clothes from carrying Joy, and there was blood on his cheek from Joy pulling him in for their last kiss. Peppy refused the kindness and offers of drink or even a blanket. He just wanted to see Joy again.

Several agonizing hours later, Dr. Plum emerged from the operating room. She left her bloody scrubs in the other room and had changed into a fresh dress.

Peppy approached her with a worried yet hopeful gaze. "Well? Where's Joy?"

Dr. Plum looked down. "We lost her about an hour ago, Peppy. She lost too much blood, and the wounds were too fatal. One of the snake's fangs hit the babies."

Peppy suddenly felt weak. He collapsed into a nearby chair and buried his face into his hands to muffle his sobs. How could this happen? Just yesterday, he and Joy moved into a new home and discussed baby names. In a matter of hours, he lost all of it. His home, he could rebuild. But he would never find another troll like Joy, nor would he ever be a father like he wished.

Dr. Plum put a hand on Peppy's shoulder. "Peppy, there _is_ good news: one of the babies survived the emergency delivery."

Peppy's head shot up, shock evident on his tearstained face. "Really? One of my babies is alive?"

"Yes. A little girl." Dr. Plum confirmed. "The fang pierced the heart of the first twin, but miraculously missed the major organs of the second. The fang _did_ hit the baby's knee, so we had to amputate."

"But she's healthy?" Peppy asked hopefully.

"Very healthy. Just missing half of one leg." Dr. Plum turned as a nurse entered the room carrying a bundle wrapped in a spring green blanket. The nurse placed the baby into Peppy's arms, and Dr. Plum and the nurse left.

Peppy stared at the teeny tiny baby in the blanket. She had pink skin like her mother, and his dark pink hair. Peppy started crying again, this time with happiness and pride. One of his babies lived. He still had a family. This little baby was _his_ daughter.

The baby seemed to sense the lingering tension, and she no longer heard the voice who spoke to her comfortingly. She began to whine and fuss.

"Sh-sh-sh…." Peppy shushed his daughter. "It's okay. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you."

The baby brought her tiny fists up to rub her eyes. When she opened them, Peppy discovered the baby's eyes were the same shade as Joy's. The baby reached for her father, and Peppy gave her one of his fingers to hold.

"Yeah, Daddy's right here." Peppy said in a soft voice. He kissed her head. "I promise I will never let anything happen to you…Poppy."


	2. First Day of School

**A/N: Okay, maybe that last chapter was too torturous and heart-wrenching. Here's a nicer one!**

 **Nerd Alert 8910 – Glad you already enjoy it! Cyber high-five back at ya!**

 **Jpbake – I would love to hear your guesses as you discover my cast. :D**

 **Neomoon585 – The amputated leg was the best way I knew to give Poppy a disability she must overcome.**

 **LB the bookworm – I am thinking about** _ **Finding Dory.**_ **Maybe I can do that adaptation next.**

 **TAPDANCING GIRAF – Aw, am I torturing you again? LOL**

* * *

 **Chapter Two – First Day of School**

Poppy remained with Dr. Plum while Peppy organized the funeral arrangements for Joy and the unborn twin who perished. Once that was finished and Peppy was cleared to take Poppy home, he took her and what he could salvage from his house and moved his little family deeper into the forest. He made a new pod home in a secure tree, far from the meadow and safe from most of the dangers in the forest.

Raising a child alone was difficult. Raising an amputee child added the extra challenge when it came time for Poppy to learn how to walk. Dr. Plum had to amputate Poppy's wounded right leg just above her knee. She spent the first years of her life in her father's arms or in a wheelchair. Sometimes she would stand or hop in place to exercise her still-functioning left leg. When she turned four and practically begged her father to teach her how to walk, Dr. Plum began showing her how to use crutches. Poppy picked them up with ease, and soon she was getting around on her own with only a little bit of wobbling. Peppy would still fuss and fret over her, watching his daughter closely and steadying her if she looked like she was about to fall over.

Despite missing half of one leg and being restricted to crutches, Poppy grew up to be an energetic and happy little girl. She loved to read the books her father had and stare out the window at the world around her. She was only allowed to go outside when her father was with her; and, oftentimes, she only ever went outside when he brought her along to get food. Nonetheless, Poppy would pause in her hobbling to say hi to every troll she met, and she would talk happily with the other children. Some of them would stare at her missing leg until her father dragged her away.

So terrified of something happening to Poppy, Peppy homeschooled his daughter using the books they had in the house and the school materials he borrowed from Dr. Plum. But Poppy's curiosity and hunger to see the forest grew with every passing day. So, when she turned ten years old, she told her father that all she wanted for her birthday was the chance to go to school. Peppy talked to Dr. Plum about it, and she agreed that Poppy needed to practice her social skills in a more integrated setting.

Very reluctantly, Peppy enrolled Poppy in school and announced she would start that autumn following her birthday.

As the sun cast the forest in its golden glow, the trolls of the forest began to rise and prepare for their day. One pink troll in particular was eager to start this day.

"First day of school! First day of school! First day of school!" Poppy cheered as she bounced/hobbled her way into her father's room. She pulled open the curtains to let in the sunlight, and she shook her father. Peppy moaned tiredly and turned away from her. "Daddy! Get up! Wake up, Daddy!" Poppy cheered happily. When her father still wouldn't wake up, she made her way to the foot of the bed and looped her hair through the heart in the bed frame. She stepped backwards until her hair was pulled taut, and she jumped forward and let her hair slingshot her through the air. "Wheeeeee!"

"Oof!" Peppy groaned when Poppy landed right on his stomach.

"Get up! It's time for school! It's time for school!" Poppy said, bouncing on her father's stomach.

"I don't wanna go to school." Peppy yawned. "Five more minutes."

"Not you, Daddy! Me!" Poppy shook him again, and then began bouncing on the bed. "Wake up! First day of school! First day of school! Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh—whoa!" Poppy suddenly tripped and fell right off the bed.

Peppy bolted upright. "Poppy!" He jumped out of bed and picked up his giggling daughter, setting her on the edge of the bed. "Are you all right?"

"Yep!" Poppy said.

"Are you bleeding? Anything broken?" Peppy asked, agitatedly looking over his daughter.

"No." Poppy shook her head.

"Sometimes you can't tell at first because your body goes into shock. Are you going into shock?"

"No."

"Are you dizzy?"

"No."

"How many stripes in my hair?"

"I'm fine, Daddy." Poppy complained, bored once again by her father's frantic worrying.

"Answer the stripe question!" Peppy ordered.

"Four." Poppy droned.

"No! See? There's something wrong! I have…" He hurried to the mirror on the wall and counted. "One….two…..three….four? Really?" Indeed: one big gray streak almost directly in the middle with two little ones on one side and another little one on the other side. "Gosh, I'm old. Okay, you're fine." He returned to his daughter and inspected her amputated leg. "How's the leg feeling? Any soreness at all?"

"No, no! It's all good!" Poppy assured.

"And you're sure you want to go to school this year?" Peppy asked. "There's nothing wrong with being homeschooled."

"But I wanna make some friends and learn stuff you can't teach me!" Poppy said. "Please, Daddy? You promised!"

Peppy sighed. He _did_ promise. "All right."

"Yay! Let's go!" Poppy tried to hop down from the bed, but Peppy caught her.

"Ah-ah, you are nowhere near ready to go out and go to school." Peppy said, handing the girl her crutches.

"Aw man." Poppy pouted.

"Do you really want to go out looking like that?" Peppy asked.

Poppy looked down to her nightgown, and then up to her wild bedhead hair. "Yes!"

"Oh, I don't think so." Peppy scooped up his daughter and began tickling her, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

Soon, Poppy had on her favorite, purple-blue flower dress and a purple headband with a white flower. Her hair was combed and her face washed. She hobbled along on her crutches while her father anxiously combed out his own hair with his fingers. They paused at the door, and Peppy slowly opened it. The two trolls poked their heads out. They looked left, then right, then up, then down.

"Let's go!" Poppy cheered.

"No." Peppy grabbed the back of Poppy's dress and pulled her back in. "What's the first thing we do before going out?"

Poppy sighed. "I wait here while you go look out for danger."

"And why do we do this?"

"Because the forest isn't safe."

"Very good." Peppy stepped out the door to the branch in front of the pod. He slowly tiptoed across the tree limb, looking all around for danger. Poppy watched with a bored expression as her father ducked behind a bushel of leaves on the branch. He poked his head out, and then ducked down again, repeating the process several times. He wielded his cane like a baseball bat.

"Daddy!" Poppy called. "I'm going to be late!"

"SHH!" Peppy hissed. He took one last look around. "Okay, Poppy! It's all—"

"Yay!" Poppy hopped out of the pod. She suddenly tripped and face-planted into the branch.

"Poppy!" Peppy rushed over to her.

"I'm okay!" Poppy said happily.

Peppy sighed. _This is going to be a long day._

Peppy used his hair to lower them down to the forest floor, where the other trolls and creatures of the forest began to emerge from their homes and start the day. Peppy's walking stick tapped rhythmically on the ground. Poppy kept right by his side on her crutches. She looked all around at the wonderful forest around her, taking in every detail: the sunlight streaming through the branches, the round shapes of the felt-texture leaves, and the cool, soft grass under her toes. Peppy hovered near her, reaching for his daughter whenever she looked like she would fall.

"Do you think I'll see a crocodile while I'm at school? Or maybe a wingdingle?" Poppy asked.

"I don't think so." Peppy said.

"Have you ever met one?" Poppy asked.

"No, and I don't want to." Peppy said.

"Will there be other kids my age at school?"

"Yes, right in your class."

"Will my teacher be nice?"

"I've met Karma a couple times. She's very kind."

"Will she teach me to use my hair?"

"Yes, I'm sure she can teach you some things I haven't taught you."

"You barely taught me anything."

"Oh. Right."

"Will she teach me how to fly?"

"Trolls can't fly."

"Oh. Then will she show me where to find a llama-troll?"

Peppy laughed, shaking his head at his daughter's rambling. "A llama-troll?"

"Or maybe it's called a troll-llama." Poppy scratched her head. "Or maybe giraffe-troll. Have you ever seen one?"

"No, I can't say I have." Peppy said.

"Mandy Sparkledust from next door says there's no such thing as a llama-troll, but I know she's wrong!" Poppy insisted. "I'm gonna meet a llama-troll and we're gonna be best friends and we're gonna go on all sorts of adventures and we're gonna be bestest friends in the whole wide world!"

"Well, I can't say if llama-trolls exist, but I'm sure one would be very happy to have you for a friend." Peppy tousled his daughter's hair.

Soon, they arrived at a clearing where other families gathered with their children for school. Poppy's eyes widened in wonder. There were children here! Children her age and younger and older! Children she could play with! Peppy, however, was lost. He hadn't interacted with so many other trolls in several years. He spent so much time raising Poppy that he didn't even know his neighbors.

"Let's head over this way." Peppy guided his daughter to a trio of adult trolls chatting happily. "Excuse me, is this where Karma picks up the children?" Peppy asked, politely interrupting the trolls' conversation.

The trolls turned to the incoming father and daughter pair. "Yes, that's right." the female of the group said.

"Hey, you're that troll from the big oak in the forest!" one of the males realized.

"Well, look who's finally out of the pod!" the other male chuckled.

"Yes, yes, quite a shock." Peppy shrugged. "I'm Peppy. This is my daughter, Poppy."

"I'm Blossom. My son, Aspen, is running around here somewhere, probably about to break his neck on his skitterboard." Blossom had purple skin and blue-purple hair streaked with pink, her eyes a pretty blue color. She wore shorts, a T-shirt, and a visor.

"My name's North. My daughter is Moxie, one of the best dancers around." North had lime green skin and purple-magenta hair, with a nose and eyes the same color to match. He wore a rainbow-colored headband, and sweatpants.

"And my little rascal is Rudy. I'm his father, Axel." Axel had more muscle on him than North. He had aqua-green skin and eyes, and his hair was a similar shade to North's, which made Peppy think they might be related. He wore swimming shorts and a T-shirt, and he had a pair of goggles and a snorkel clipped to his pocket.

"This is my first day of school!" Poppy piped up excitedly.

"How exciting!" Blossom cooed. "Aren't you just so adorable?"

"Daddy says so." Poppy said shyly.

"Why haven't you started school sooner?" Axel asked. "Something wrong with you?" He yelped when North slapped him upside the head.

"I've been homeschooling her." Peppy said. "But I thought she ought to start school so she can learn things I can't teach her."

"I thought Auntie Dr. Plum told you I need to practice my social skills." Poppy said.

Peppy paled, chuckling nervously. "Well, it would be nice for her to make some friends."

"I'll be you and Moxie will get along great!" North said.

Suddenly, a ball flew over and hit Poppy on the head. "Ouch!" Poppy yelped.

"Hey!" Peppy shouted.

Two boys looked mortified when they saw the angry father glaring at them. "Rudy did it!" one of them shouted.

"Nuh-uh! Aspen did it!" the other shouted.

"It was _your_ throw!"

"It was _your_ bad catch!"

"Oh both of you shut up!" a girl snapped, pushing the two boys apart.

"Children!" Blossom scolded. "Enough of that. Come over here right now and say 'hello.'"

"Are you all right, Poppy?" Peppy asked, fretfully looking over his daughter.

"I'm fine, Daddy! Stop squishing my face!" Poppy's voice sounded weird from Peppy grabbing her by the cheeks.

"You're not bleeding? No concussion?" Peppy asked.

"Dad." Poppy whined. "You're embarrassing me."

"Children, this is Poppy." Blossom said.

"Poppy, these are our children." Axel introduced each child as he pointed to them. Moxie had orchid skin and eyes, and lighter-colored hair. She wore a yellow dress that faded to reddish-orange at the bottom. Aspen had orange skin and eyes, and green hair. He wore single-strap suspenders that were blue with green on the bottom. He carried a skitterboard. Rudy had lighter orange skin and golden yellow hair, and blue eyes. He wore blue shorts, held up with a green suspender strap. He picked up his ball that hit Poppy's head.

"Another girl!" Moxie cheered, hugging Poppy. "Yay!"

"What's wrong with your leg?" Rudy asked. "Missing your peg leg?"

"Rudy!" Axel scolded.

"Why are you on crutches?" Aspen asked. His mother pinched his ear. "Ow! What'd I do?"

"Be nice." Blossom scolded.

"Daddy says I was bit by a snake." Poppy said.

"Cool!" Rudy gasped.

"Not really." Peppy huffed.

"Oh!" North gasped. "Are you from that same family whose home was attacked by that snake so long ago?"

Blossom smacked North. "Would you stop it?"

"It's okay!" Moxie lifted her skirt a little to show a small scar on her knee. "Look! I got this from learning a new dance move."

"I got this from a skitterboard trick gone wrong." Aspen showed off a scar on his elbow.

"I've gotten so many head injuries that my mom wants me to start wearing a helmet everywhere." Rudy laughed.

A trumpet horn sounded from the trees. "Oh children!" someone called in a singsong voice.

"Miss Karma!" the kids cheered.

"Come on, Poppy!" Moxie urged.

Poppy tried to hobble forward, but Peppy pulled her back. "Uh, maybe you should stick with me." Poppy huffed, blowing her bangs from her face.

Karma emerged from the trees. She had rusty orange skin and bright green hair like a tuft of spring grass. She had all sorts of twigs and leaves and dandelions stuck in her hair. Her nose matched the bright blue of her eyes. She wore a yellow crop top and a skirt that looked like it was made of flower petals to match. The children all gathered around happily.

"Hello everyone!" Karma greeted, hugging the kids. "How wonderful to see you all again! Moxie? Mandy? Oh, Glint! How lovely to see you all!"

"We have a new student, Miss Karma!" Moxie said, pointing to Poppy.

"Ah, yes." Karma grinned, stepping towards the pink troll and her father. "Glad you didn't bail on me again, Peppy."

Peppy sighed. "Hello, Karma."

"And you must be Poppy." Karma knelt down to the child. "I hope you enjoy my class."

"I bet I will!" Poppy said. "Do you have any books?"

"Oh, yes. Plenty." Karma said.

"Yay!" Poppy cheered. She tottered over on her crutches to Moxie.

"Uh, Karma?" Peppy piped up. "I'm sure you're aware of her…uh, condition? She gets tired easily. If she needs a break, I find that taking a break is good for her. You know, ten, fifteen minutes? Something like that? You know what I mean?" Peppy felt a tug on his pant leg, and he looked to his daughter.

"Daddy?" Poppy cleared her throat. "I think it's time for you to go? Now?"

"Oh, yes." Peppy forced a laugh. He opened his arms to give his daughter a hug, but she already trotted off with Karma. So Peppy just waved awkwardly.

"Come along, students!" Karma called. "We're off to my tree library for our lesson today!" The kids cheered.

"Come on, Poppy!" Moxie guided her new friend along.

"Bye, Poppy!" Peppy called.

"Bye, Dad!" Poppy waved before joining Moxie and her new classmates.

"Bye!" Peppy waved, anxiously watching his daughter disappear with her class. "Be safe."

"Well, I'm off to do my swimming exercises." Axel said, walking off.

"I've got to clean the garage. About time I get that done." North sauntered away.

"Care to come to my pod for tea?" Blossom offered to Peppy.

"No. I'm good." Peppy said.

"You're doing very well, Peppy." Blossom said. "I know it's hard to let them go. But she's going to grow and have so many wonderful stories to tell when she gets back."

"Yep!" Peppy said with a forced smile. He waved to Blossom as she left. Peppy looked back to where Poppy disappeared. He plopped himself down on a nearby mushroom. "No reason I can't sit right here and wait for her to get back."

* * *

Six hours later, Peppy was still in his same spot. His fingers drummed on his cane in his anxiousness. When he heard the joyful chatter of little children, his ears went almost straight up. Peppy jumped off his spot and joined the parents searching for their children. Karma congratulated the children on a good first day, and she dismissed them to their parents. Peppy scanned the tiny tufts of hair for a familiar pink one.

"Daddy!"

Peppy smiled widely and knelt down to be at Poppy's eye level when she approached him. She had paint splotched across her face. "You must've had a good day." Peppy mused.

"I made this for you!" Poppy showed Peppy a picture she had made in class of her and her father.

"That's lovely, Poppy." Peppy said. "Come on. Let's get home and get you cleaned up."

The pair traveled home, and Poppy practically bounced on her crutches as she described her entire day in detail: Karma's tour of her library, the ice breaker game to learn everyone's names, recess with her new friends (especially Moxie, who showed off her dance moves), and expressing yourself through art. Peppy kept looking his daughter over for injuries, but saw none. Had he overreacted? Was she going to be okay after all?

Peppy relaxed a little more when he and Poppy sat down to dinner. Later, while he cleared the table, Poppy hobbled to the bathroom to change for her bath. Peppy soon joined her to help her wash her hair.

As she dried off and pulled on her pajamas, Peppy noticed something. "What happened to your knee?!"

Poppy quickly pulled on her pants, but her father already saw the scrape she got from recess. "Nothing!"

"Don't tell me 'nothing'!" Peppy lifted Poppy and set her on the counter, pushing up the pant leg to analyze the scrape. It was minor, probably didn't even need a band-aid. But Peppy about had a heart attack.

"Stop freaking out, Dad!" Poppy snapped.

"I'm freaking out for a good reason!" Peppy snapped back as he pulled out a monstrous first aid kit. "I told you to be careful!"

"I can't be careful and have fun at the same time!"

"Yes you can. It's called sitting still and reading a book. Just watch out for paper cuts."

"Why do you have to be such a spazz?!"

"You don't even know what that word means."

"I know you always freak out over nothing and it's so stupid!" Poppy suddenly pushed herself off the counter. But she tripped upon landing and fell to the ground. Peppy tried to run to her, but he kicked the counter instead and pain erupted in his toes. Poppy took her chance to grab her crutches and hobble out of the room as fast as she could. Peppy took a few deep breaths. His foot still throbbed. After a moment, he sighed heavily and pulled a single band-aid from the first-aid kit. He also brought a wet washcloth with him as he walked down the hall to his daughter's room.

Poppy looked up when the door opened, and she glowered at her father. "I come in peace." Peppy said, holding his hands up in a defensive manner. "No more spazzing out. Promise."

Poppy sighed. She sat on her bed with her knee pulled up to her chest. "Why do you have to freak out so much?"

Peppy sat on the edge of the bed and coaxed his daughter into letting him apply a bandage to her scraped knee. "Because I'm your dad. It's my job to freak out when my daughter is hurt, even when it's just a little cut."

"But it's annoying." Poppy complained.

"You'll thank me when you're older." Peppy said. He sighed. "Look, Poppy, you are my whole world. If anything happened to you…"

Poppy didn't like that look on her father's face. A look of fear and sadness, like he would cry. He always got that look on his face whenever she asked about her mother. "Dad, nothing will happen to me. I'll be okay."

"I know. I know." Peppy said. "Just promise that you'll be a little more careful, okay? You're not like the other kids. You can't run and jump and do things they can do."

"I know." Poppy sighed. "I'll be more careful."

Peppy smiled and pulled his daughter into his lap, tickling her ribs. She began to squeal with laugher, and Peppy chuckled. He hugged Poppy tightly, and Poppy returned the embrace. She didn't like to see her father upset. It annoyed her when he worried. It made her sad to see him sad. So if being more careful kept that smile on his face, she'd do it.

Poppy never realized how soon she would break that promise.

* * *

 **A/N: There. A little family fluff for you! Because you all know what's going to happen next…**

 **Fun facts! Poppy's first day of school outfit is based off the outfit from the Hug Day episode in the series. The trio of parents—Aspen, Moxie, and Rudy's parents—are based off characters from the old Trolls Party Forest game.**


	3. Field Trip Fiasco

**A/N: Like my other adaptations, these are shorter stories than my trilogy. So I'll be updating either every day or every other day, depending on when I have time. I did want to leave you with one more chapter before the weekend, when I'll be doing the most writing. Here, we get to see who plays Dory!**

 **Jpbake – I had thought about prosthetics, but I wanted Poppy to have something that held her back, an obstacle to overcome. That's why I stuck with crutches. For this AU, I'm saying that no, trolls don't have prosthetics.**

 **I know a lot of you are asking/wondering about Branch. I'm afraid this is not a big romance/Broppy story, but there will be some bonding between them, and you'll soon find out when!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three – Field Trip Fiasco**

The next day, Peppy tried to hide his worry behind a smile as he escorted his daughter to school. Poppy bounced and babbled on like any excited child would. Today, she had her hair pulled in a ponytail and wore a green headband with blue flowers. She also wore a blue and green sundress. When they arrived at the clearing, Poppy gave her dad a quick hug and then hurried to meet with Moxie, Aspen, and Rudy.

"Good morning, children!" Karma called out over the little ones. "I hope you're ready for walking, because we're going on a field trip today!" The kids cheered excitedly. Karma always took them on the best field trips.

When Peppy heard the words "field trip," however, he almost had a panic attack. But he remembered his promise to Poppy, and put on an encouraging smile as his daughter left with the other children and Karma.

"Not bad." North mused, looking to Peppy.

"But you're not going to sit here until they get back, are you?" Blossom asked hopefully.

"No, of course not." Peppy said. "I think I'll go home and clean…something."

"Good. Take your mind off things." Blossom said.

"Hey, I can't keep hanging over my daughter forever." Peppy shrugged as the parents headed for home. "She'll be fine."

"Yeah, of course." North agreed.

"I just hope Rudy will behave." Axel said. "I always have trouble with his brother when we go to the meadow."

Peppy froze, his eyes widening. _"The meadow?!_ They're going to the meadow?!"

"What's the big deal?" North shrugged.

"Are you insane?! Why don't we just wrap them in seaweed and say 'Here you go! Bon appétit!' to the nearest predator?!" Peppy snapped.

"Peppy, calm down." Blossom urged.

" _You_ be calm! I have to save my daughter before she's snapped up by something!" Peppy took off running, sprinting after the schoolkids.

"He's going to die of an anxiety attack in about ten years." North sighed.

"I'll give him ten _months_." Axel said.

* * *

Poppy kept falling behind from the group because she couldn't stop looking around at everything. So Rudy gave her a piggyback ride while Moxie carried her crutches. Karma talked about the different plants and the trees they passed on the way to their destination. Poppy hardly ever went farther than the market when she left her house. Everything was so beautiful, especially on this bright and sunny day.

"Here we are, students!" Karma announced. "The meadow is just beyond these trees. We're going to stay together once we get there. Remember: the meadow is dangerous. Right now, I want you to explore this little clearing we're in and tell me what you find. Don't go beyond the trees, for your safety."

The kids scattered, marveling at the land around them. "Let's go this way." Moxie suggested, handing Poppy her crutches as the pink troll slid off Rudy's back.

"Thanks for carrying me." Poppy told Rudy as the trio wandered towards the trees.

"No problem." Rudy said. "You're light, and it was a good workout."

Aspen suddenly shot past them on his skitterboard, doing a few flips. "This place has some sick terrain for tricks!"

"You're really good at that." Poppy complimented.

"Aspen is one of the best skitterboarders in town." Rudy said. "He's even won competitions."

"Wow." Poppy breathed.

Aspen skated back to his friends and kicked his board up to his hands. "Here, Poppy. You try."

Poppy looked down to her amputated leg. "I don't know if I can."

"You'll never know until you try." Aspen said. "Why don't you try sitting on it first? You can go down…that!" He pointed to a slanted rock, perfect for sledding down on a skitterboard. The kids climbed up to the top of the rock, and Moxie held Poppy's crutches again.

"So sit down like this?" Poppy carefully lowered herself onto Aspen's skitterboard.

Aspen positioned the board to face straight down the slope. "Good. You just have to lean left or right to turn. To stop, dig your feet…er, foot into the ground and lean back. You might tumble a little, but it's fun!"

"Okay!" Poppy said. "I'm ready!"

Aspen gave her a light push, and the skitterboard quickly gained speed as it rolled down the rock. The board hit the level ground and kept going. Poppy never experienced something so thrilling. She tried turning and leaned to the right. But she leaned too far and veered way off-course.

"Not that way!" Aspen yelped.

"Poppy!" Moxie cried as the kids darted after their friend.

Poppy went right through some tall grass and down another small slope, rolling faster and faster. She gripped the sides of the skitterboard in fear, and her eyes widened when she saw some rocks up ahead. With her current trajectory, she would slide across the rocks and fly right off, no doubt hurting herself once she hit the ground.

Luckily, her friends managed to catch up, and the three of them used their hair to grab Poppy and the skitterboard just before they could fly off the edge. Aspen, Moxie, and Rudy pulled Poppy back from the edge, and they gathered around her worriedly.

"I'm so sorry!" Aspen yelped.

"Are you okay?" Rudy asked.

Poppy had a look of terror on her face. "That…was…." A smile spread from ear to ear. "Awesome!"

Relieved, the kids laughed and cheered as Poppy stood and leaned back on her crutches. "That was so awesome, Poppy." Moxie said. "Scary, but awesome."

Poppy giggled, nodding in agreement. She looked around, and then gasped. "Whoa."

The rocks they stood on were at the edge of the meadow. Now that the kids had a proper view of it, they saw why everyone spoke of the meadow in awe. It was a vast, grassy area with flowers clustered around in different spots, and rocks poking out here and there. It was bright and spacious and very quiet. A few butterflies flitted about to the different flowers.

"It's beautiful." Moxie breathed.

"To think I almost went head-first into that." Poppy giggled.

Rudy scanned the area. "Hey, what's that?" The other kids followed his point to see a couple large animals not too far away from them. One of them grazed on the grass while the other drank from a stream that flowed through the rocks on the edge of the meadow.

"Oh! I know what that is!" Poppy tapped her head in thought. "I read it in one of my books. Sounds like 'oose,' I think."

"I know!" Aspen declared. "Mandy Sparkledust told us about those things. She called them a caboose."

"Those are some pretty big cabooses." Rudy said.

"I think the plural form is still just 'caboose.'" Moxie said.

"Let's go touch them!" Rudy urged. Aspen and Moxie agreed, and the kids started for the edge of the rocks.

Poppy remembered her father's warning and the promise she made. "Uh, guys? Maybe we shouldn't. Those things are pretty big."

"They won't even notice us." Aspen said. "Besides, Mandy says they only eat grass."

"But my dad says it's not safe." Poppy said as her friends began climbing down the rocks. She stood on the edge, still not daring to go down.

"Your dad's a spazz." Rudy scoffed. "It'll be fine."

"You'll be with us! We look out for each other." Moxie said. "Come on, Poppy!"

Poppy wanted to go. She really did. But something didn't feel safe about this, even if her father hadn't warned her. "Guys, I really think—"

"Poppy!"

"Dad?" Poppy yelped when her father suddenly grabbed her under the arms and pulled her away from the edge of the rocks. He set her down a safe distance away and glared at her.

"What do you think you're doing trying to climb down there?" Peppy demanded.

"No, I wasn't!" Poppy protested, but her father didn't hear her. Her friends scrambled back up the rocks to help.

"You could've broken a bone or fallen into the stream and drowned!" Peppy snapped.

"Sir, wait!" Moxie protested as she and the boys came by Poppy's side. "She wasn't going to go!"

"She was trying to get us back up!" Aspen added.

"This does not concern you, kids." Peppy scolded. "You just better hope I don't tell your parents you were out there. Poppy, what made you think you could climb down that and not get hurt?"

"I would've been fine, Dad!" Poppy snapped. "And you promised you wouldn't freak out so much!"

"You promised you would be more careful!" Peppy's voice was rising in volume. By then, Karma and the other kids had arrived, attracted by the sounds of the shouts.

"Even if I _was_ going down there, I wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Poppy argued.

"Yes, you would have. Now come on." Peppy started to steer Poppy away. "We're going home."

Poppy managed to twist and spin out of her father's guiding, still standing. "NO, Dad! I'm not going to hide for the rest of my life just because _you're_ afraid of the forest!"

"This is not about me, it's about you!" Peppy shouted. "You're disabled, crippled! You can't walk without crutches. You're not like the normal kids, all right?"

"So?" Poppy demanded.

"So, that means you'll never be able to do things like the other kids! You can't run or climb or jump or swim or do any of that!" Peppy yelled. "You think you can, but you just can't, Poppy!"

Poppy glared at her father, and then at the ground. "I hate you."

All of Peppy's anger vanished, replaced with shock and hurt. She hated him? His own daughter hated him?

"Okay!" Karma spoke up in a forcefully cheery voice. "Kids, why don't you go gather over there while the adults talk? Go on!" She speed-walked up to Peppy. "Uh, Peppy, is there something I can do to help?"

Peppy shook himself out of his shock and turned to face Karma. "No, thank you. I just need to take my daughter home. She's not ready for this."

"I assure you, she's safe here. Especially if her friends make better decisions." Karma cast a pointed look to Moxie, Aspen, and Rudy. The kids ducked their heads in shame.

It all just made Poppy madder. Mad because it seemed her friends were being unfairly scolded because of her. Mad because her father broke his promise. Mad because her father didn't believe she could do anything.

Poppy glanced to the creatures her friends wanted to touch. The two large animals were still close to them.

"What if this were to happen again?" Peppy asked Karma. "I know you take care of these kids, but what if she wanders off again? I don't want you to have to keep her right by your side. That seems inconvenient."

"But I would be willing to do what I need to if it meant keeping Poppy in school." Karma said. "She's so bright. She needs a place to learn."

"I can't take the risk." Peppy said. "I can't lose her, too. You know that."

"I _do_ know. Believe me, I understand, Peppy. But—" Karma felt a tug on her skirt.

"Miss Karma?" a green troll child with blue hair said.

"Not now, Keith." Karma said, trying to usher the boy troll back to the other children.

"But Miss Karma!" Keith said. "Poppy went out into the meadow!"

Everyone whipped around to see Poppy hobbling across the rocks, right towards the creatures she and her friends called a caboose.

"Poppy!" Peppy ran to the edge of the rocks and skidded to a halt. He flashed back to that snake that attacked and killed his wife. Fear kept him rooted in the spot.

Poppy had a bit of a hard landing when she slid/fell down the rocks, but nonetheless made her way to the two creatures. Now that she was closer, she saw the creatures had brown hair, cloven hooves, large antlers, and big snouts. The one who had been grazing came over to drink from the stream. Poppy hobbled/crawled over the rocks to reach it.

"Poppy, come back here!" Peppy shouted. "I said get back here right now!"

Poppy turned to glare defiantly at her father.

"Don't move one more inch!" Peppy ordered. "I'm coming down there!"

Before he could, Poppy raised a hand.

"Oh, no!" Peppy warned. "If you lay a single finger on that moose, I will—"

He didn't get to finish. Poppy lightly tapped the moose on the nose. The moose looked up and stared at the little pink thing who touched it. Everyone held their breaths. The moose analyzed Poppy for a moment, then blew a puff of wind at her that made her ponytail shake. The moose went back to drinking and Poppy proudly hobbled back towards the other trolls.

"She touched the caboose." Rudy gasped.

"You get your little tail back here right now, Poppy!" Peppy shouted.

Poppy ignored him for the most part. She kept her head high with pride. She even kept her haughty expression when one of her crutches got caught between two rocks.

"See? Now you're stuck!" Peppy started to climb down the rock. "Stay there. Here I come."

Poppy rolled her eyes. She tugged on her crutch to get it free.

"Let me tell you something, Poppy: you are in a heap of trouble!" Peppy shouted as he landed on a lower rock. "You are in big—"

Suddenly, the grass parted, and a humongous creature with green skin, white hair, and red eyes emerged.

A bergen.

Peppy eyes widened. "Big…"

Moxie screamed in terror. Poppy realized all her classmates screamed and pointed behind her. She turned and saw she was completely in the bergen's shadow.

Poppy shrieked, dropping her other crutch and attempting to hop to her father. But she tripped. "Daddy! Help me!"

"I'm coming, Poppy!" Peppy ran for the edge of the rock he stood on, intending to jump towards his daughter. But he stopped when another bergen appeared in his path. Karma herded the terrified children into the safety of the forest. The larger bergen carefully scooped up Poppy and plucked her crutches off the ground. He deposited his catch into a small wire cage and headed for the moose. Peppy backed up and away from the second bergen, who took out a camera and snapped a picture of the older troll. The flash of the camera nearly blinded him.

"Thanks, little guy." The bergen said as he left. "Now run along home."

Peppy only saw blurs and colors. "Poppy! Poppy, where are you?" He had to blink a few times and rub his eyes before he finally spotted the bergens mounting the moose. _"No!"_ Peppy made a mad dash for the animals. The taller, older bergen tucked the cage holding Poppy into a saddlebag.

"Daddy?" Poppy whimpered. "Daddy!"

Peppy reached the moose. He ran up a taller rock and jumped off, grabbing the saddlebag with his hair to pull him forward. He landed on the moose's flank, gripping the coarse hairs and crawling towards where he saw his daughter disappear. His cane must've poked the moose, because the animal whapped her tail against her flank and knocked Peppy off. He hit the grass, and the bergens spurred their moose into a run across the meadow.

Once he regained his bearings and breath, Peppy looked up and saw the moose galloping away. "No…..Poppy!" He ran after the moose, not willing to give up.

The moose galloped at a steady pace. The older bergen checked his bag to make sure the troll he caught didn't get thrown around too much. Then, the moose jumped to avoid a log, and the bergen quickly grabbed the reins. He didn't notice his thermos falling out of his bag and rolling away.

Even though he lost sight of the bergens and his lungs burned from panting so hard, Peppy wouldn't give up. He followed the flattened and bent grass to track the bergens. He thought only of his daughter, how scared she must be, and how he would do absolutely anything to get her back. But he reached the other side of the meadow and came to another part of the forest, and suddenly the tracks had disappeared. There were no more marks on the ground and no sign of the bergens or their moose steeds.

"No. NO, please! She can't be gone!" Peppy ran forward, shouting for his daughter. When he saw the bustle of forest creatures ahead, he ran towards them. "Has anyone seen a bergen?" He asked, though no one seemed to hear him. "Please, two bergens! Did they come through here?" Either no one heard or they ignored him, and Peppy was pushed aside several times. "They took my daughter! Please, someone help me!"

"Look out!" someone shouted.

Peppy heard that just before he slammed into the speaker, sending them both tumbling head-over-heels through some shrubbery and down a short hill. The two of them hit the bottom of the hill and finally separated. The troll Peppy ran into had lavender skin and green hair and eyes. She wore a cream-colored dress and a magenta knit sleeveless coat. She moaned a little as she stood, holding her head.

"Anyone get a look at that Caterbus who hit me?" She shook her head to get rid of the dizziness. When she saw Peppy still on the ground, she gasped. "Oh my gracious! Sir? Are you okay? I'm so sorry. You just came running up so fast." She crouched beside him as Peppy moved to a kneeling position. The female troll was alarmed to see tears in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

Peppy rubbed his eyes dry. "No. I'm sorry, I just have to find those bergens." He stood to leave.

"Oh, I saw a couple bergens." The female troll said as she stood.

"You have?!" Peppy whirled around to face her.

"They came stampeding by just a minute ago." The female troll mused.

"Riding moose?" Peppy clarified.

The female troll smiled and held out her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Rosiepuff."

"I'm Peppy now which way did they go?!" Peppy shouted frantically.

"That way." Rosiepuff pointed in one direction.

"Well don't just stand there! Lead the way!" Peppy begged.

"Oh, yes! Follow me!" Rosiepuff started running.

"Thank you!" Peppy said as he followed. "Thank you so much!"

Rosiepuff laughed, as though amused by Peppy's gratitude. The two trolls left the bustle behind them as they ran through the trees. Peppy couldn't believe his luck. With this troll guiding him, he'd find his daughter in no time.

After running for a while, Rosiepuff slowed to a jog, then a walk. She skipped a little. Peppy found it a bit odd. Didn't this troll understand he was in a bit of a hurry? Even more confusing was when Rosiepuff glanced behind her, gave him a weird look, and then sped up. When Peppy tried to keep up, Rosiepuff took a sharp turn. Peppy stayed right behind her. Even when Rosiepuff jumped over and ducked under things, Peppy wouldn't let her out of his sight. This troll was his key to finding Poppy, after all.

But of all the things Peppy expected, he didn't expect Rosiepuff to disappear through some tall grass, and then punch him right in the jaw when he tried to follow her. She swiped his cane off the ground and held it threateningly.

"Back off you creep!" Rosiepuff growled.

"What?" Peppy was still reeling from the punch. He underestimated this troll's strength.

"I'm just trying to take a nice little stroll in the forest, and I don't need a stalker on my tail!" Rosiepuff snapped. "Now stop following me!"

"What are you talking about?" Peppy snatched his cane back from Rosiepuff. "I thought you were showing me which way the bergens went!"

"Oh, you're looking for some bergens?" Rosiepuff asked. "A couple passed by some time ago. Want me to show you where they went?"

Peppy's jaw dropped, staring at Rosiepuff with a dumbfounded expression. "Why do you think I've been following you?"

"Huh?" Rosiepuff jumped when Peppy shouted at her.

"You've been showing me where the bergens were going this whole time!" Peppy shouted. "That's why I was following you! You said 'Hey, follow me!' and I did!"

"Oh, I did?" Rosiepuff looked sheepish.

Peppy's impatience and frustration grew. "I swear, if this is your idea of a joke—"

"No, no, I'm so sorry!" Rosiepuff said quickly. "It's not a joke, it's just something messed up that I have to live with."

"What?" Peppy asked.

"Well, you see," Rosiepuff laughed nervously. "I have short-term memory loss."

Peppy blinked a few times. "Short-term memory loss. Okay."

"No, really!" Rosiepuff insisted. "I forget things mere minutes after they happen. It runs in my family. I think." She began looking around. "You know, if I had a family to show you, it would make sense but I guess there's no one here but us and so it might be weird…" Rosiepuff looked back to Peppy, smiled as though seeing him for the first time, and held out her hand for a handshake. "Hi, can I help you?"

Peppy sighed. "Right. Okay. Thank you for your help, or lack thereof. I take comfort in knowing you will never remember me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find my daughter." He turned and walked past Rosiepuff.

He froze when he almost bumped into a mouth full of gleaming, pointed teeth.


	4. Vegetarian Crocodile Club

**A/N: Enjoy this next one! I hope it's as funny as I think. Loved your reactions to seeing Rosiepuff as Dory.**

 **Riverajocabed1 – Yes, I agree. That's why I love doing these adaptations.**

 **Cupcake – Yes, Peppy said some things he regrets.**

 **True Colors 96 – You'll see in later chapters.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four – Vegetarian Crocodile Club**

The pointed teeth belonged to a crocodile, who grinned at the two trolls. "Hello."

Peppy squeaked in fear and hid behind Rosiepuff. "Uh, hi!" Rosiepuff greeted cheerily. "Mister…..?"

"Barnabas. Nice to meet you." The crocodile held out a clawed paw to shake, but Rosiepuff and Peppy recoiled. Barnabas shrugged. "No worries, I understand. After all, why trust a crocodile?" He snapped his teeth at the trolls, and Peppy cowered while Rosiepuff smiled nervously. Barnabas laughed heartily. "Now what are a couple little trolls like you doing way out here?"

"Nothing." Peppy said. "Nothing at all."

"I'm not interrupting a date, am I?" Barnabas asked.

"I don't think so." Rosiepuff looked to Peppy for confirmation.

"Nope. Not a date. _So_ not a date." Peppy said.

"Wonderful!" Barnabas said. "Then how about you two join me for a little party I'm having with some mates?"

"Ooh, a party!" Rosiepuff said. She looked to Peppy. "What do you think?"

"Well, I don't think we should intrude on a get-together with your mates, Mr. Crocodile." Peppy started pulling Rosiepuff away. "We really should be—"

"Oh come along! I insist!" Barnabas suddenly grabbed Peppy's vest and Rosiepuff's coat in his teeth, basically troll-napping his "guests."

"Okay then." Peppy gulped.

Barnabas brought the two trolls through the forest and into a swamp area. This was the farthest Peppy had ever been from home. It only added to his discomfort at being in the homeland of a crocodile and other creepy swamp creatures. Despite the clear, sunny day, the swamp seemed a little darker and spookier. Barnabas took the two trolls to a large tree deep in the swamp, and Peppy saw a boat stuck up in that tree. How the boat got up there, he had no idea. He just knew he didn't like Barnabas crawling up some steps and going right into the spooky, run-down boat. Inside, the wood was rotting and covered moss and mushrooms. Several lanterns were lit to cast a bit more light into the room. There were a couple crates in the corner labeled "DANGER" and "EXPLOSIVE."

Peppy gulped. _I really wish I weren't here._

"Irwin! Steve!" Barnabas called after dropping Peppy and Rosiepuff in the middle of the floor.

Two more crocodiles emerged from the dark places of the boat, crawling towards the trolls. "About time you got back, Barns!" One said.

"Yeah, Irwin already ate most of the snacks." The other said.

"No worries, boys." Barnabas said. "There's plenty more to eat." The crocodiles circled the two trolls in the room, and Peppy and Rosiepuff stood close together. Peppy wasn't entirely sure Rosiepuff knew what was going on right now, but he sure did.

"Let's get this started, then!" Irwin urged.

Peppy covered his eyes and cowered in fear.

 _DING!_

"Right! Let's get this meeting in order." Barnabas said. Peppy slowly uncovered his eyes. Barnabas now sat perched on a stool, and Steve and Irwin flanked him and Rosiepuff like guards. Everyone was alert and attentive. Barnabas had rung the bell. "Now, let's all say the pledge."

Steve and Irwin raised their right front paws, and Rosiepuff raised her right hand. The crocodiles of the room spoke their pledge. "I am a nice crocodile, not a crazy killer. I know I can change this image by changing myself. I will not eat the animals of the forest because they are my friends."

Peppy shared a look with Rosiepuff, who shrugged. _Vegetarian…crocodiles?_

"All right!" Barnabas said. "We're in Step Seven of the program: bring an animal friend that we would normally eat if we were still crazy, killing crocodiles. You've met my friends: this is…oh, I'm sorry, I didn't quite get your names."

"Rosiepuff!"

"Uh…Peppy….."

"Rosiepuff and Peppy!" Barnabas said. "I call 'em 'Rose' and 'Pep!' Now, does everyone else have a friend?"

"I got mine!" Irwin held up a small, pudgy, duck-like bird, who muttered nervously with his eyes darting around.

"What about you, Steve?" Barnabas asked.

Steve looked a little sheepish. "Well, uh, I seem to have…..uh….. _misplaced_ my friend."

Peppy noticed some hairs or fur stuck in Steve's teeth, and he lost all color in his face. "You okay?" Rosiepuff whispered to him. "You look like you're about to wet yourself." If Peppy hadn't been so terrified at the moment, he would have a witty comeback for that.

"No worries, Stevie. I thought this might be a difficult step for you. You can take one of my friends, if you like." Barnabas offered.

"Great!" Steve suddenly grabbed Peppy and hugged him tightly. Peppy thought he really would have an accident in his pants.

"Now, the reason we have this step is to have that extra support as we do our monthly vents." Barnabas said. "I'll start. I am Barnabas, and it has been two months since my last taste of meat. Though I do sometimes miss the thrill of the chase and the sweet nectar of troll blood on my tongue, I have refrained from all hunting! On my honor, or may I be skinned and made into a handbag."

Steve, Irwin, and even Rosiepuff clapped for Barnabas. "You're an inspiration!" Irwin cheered.

"And that's why he's our leader." Steve agreed.

"Who wants to go next?" Barnabas asked, crawling down from the stool. "How about you, little Rose?"

"Sure!" Rosiepuff climbed up onto the stool and looked out to her small audience. "Hi, I'm Rosiepuff, and I've been a vegetarian since….." She counted off on her fingers. "Always!"

The crocodiles of the room clapped. Irwin's duck friend waddled away while everyone was distracted. "Who's next?" Barnabas looked to Peppy. "What about you, buddy? Got anything you want to get off your chest?"

"Nope! Not at all!" Peppy said.

The three crocodiles shared knowing looks. "Denial." Steve tossed Peppy into the air, and the troll landed next to Rosiepuff on the stool.

"Just start with your name." Barnabas encouraged.

Peppy shook like a leaf in the wind. "Okay….hello….I'm Peppy…."

There was silence for a moment. "And what's your problem?" Barnabas asked.

"Is it because Barney interrupted your date?" Irwin asked.

"No." Peppy glanced to Rosiepuff, and suddenly realized. "No! No, no, we aren't…she's not….."

"Oh, come on, mate!" Steve said. "She's a lovely lady, ain't she?"

"Thank you." Rosiepuff said to Steve.

"Well, sure…but I…I mean she….uh….." Peppy didn't know what to say. Not only did he meet Rosiepuff merely half an hour ago, he hadn't thought about having a relationship with another troll since Joy died. Plus, Peppy wasn't sure he could live with a troll who had a mental disability like Rosiepuff's.

"Love problem!" Irwin declared. "We got a love problem here."

"Don't worry, mate!" Steve said. "We'll help you!"

"But I don't—" Peppy couldn't get a word in with the crocodiles talking excitedly. Rosiepuff blushed, giggling at Peppy's expense.

"First, give her a compliment." Barnabas said. "Go on."

Peppy feared that, if he didn't, he'd be eaten. "Fine. Rosiepuff, you…..um…..have a very nice….nose?"

Rosiepuff looked down to her little, blue-green nose. "Thanks!"

"No, no, no!" Barnabas scoffed. "Compliment her eyes! Or her pretty hair!"

"Show him how it's done, Barnabas!" Irwin urged.

Barnabas crawled up and stood on his hind legs to properly see Rosiepuff. "Dearest Rose, your eyes are like two emeralds, glittering in the light of the swamp and shining like little fireflies."

"Aw, aren't you just the sweetest thing?" Rosiepuff cooed, patting Barnabas's snout.

"Do you even understand what's going on here?" Peppy demanded.

"No, but who doesn't like being complimented?" Rosiepuff shrugged.

"Now, you give her a simple yet meaningful gift." Barnabas said.

"Like what? My cane?" Peppy was slowly getting fed up with all this nonsense, and it began to overcome his fear.

"Oh! I'll find you something!" Irwin dove snout-first into a nearby hammock, rummaging around the various items inside and throwing things out.

"Irwin's always finding the most 'interesting' items in the forest and the swamp." Steve sighed.

Irwin tossed out a cylindrical item with a strap. The item rolled across the floor and stopped at the stool. Peppy gasped when he recognized it.

It was the soup thermos that belonged to one of the bergens.

"Poppy!" Peppy gasped, climbing down the stool.

"A flower! Yes!" Irwin agreed. "Too bad I don't have any in my stash."

"No, she's my daughter." Peppy said, inspecting the thermos. "She was kidnapped by bergens today."

"Oh, you poor thing." Rosiepuff said in pity, joining Peppy as they analyzed the thermos.

"Bergens. Rotten little thieves." Steve scoffed. "They're always clodhopping through here."

"One of them even peed in my favorite bathing pond!" Irwin complained. "It took a month to clean it out properly!"

Barnabas sniffled. "Would you look at that? _That's_ a good father, looking for his little girl!" He started bawling pathetically. "I never knew my father!"

"Take it easy, mate." Steve said as he and Irwin pulled Barnabas into a group hug.

"We're here for you, buddy." Irwin agreed.

Peppy found some markings carved into the metal of the thermos. A clue to his daughter, perhaps? He growled in frustration. "I can't read bergen! What do these say?"

"Well, let's just find someone who _can_ read it." Rosiepuff looked around, and then started pulling the thermos towards Barnabas, Steve, and Irwin. "Hey guys!"

"Wait, Rosiepuff!" Peppy tried to yank the thermos back. If he lost this, he'd lose Poppy for sure!

"Give that back!" Rosiepuff pulled on the strap of the thermos.

"Let go!"

"You let go! They can help!"

"Or they'll lose it!"

"You don't know that!"

"Just let go!"

Peppy jerked the thermos away, and Rosiepuff lost her footing and fell forward. She yelped in pain when a nail sticking out of the wood hit her arm. Peppy gasped and rushed to her side. "I'm so sorry! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Rosiepuff had her hand over her arm. "Am I bleeding?" She moved her hand to reveal a cut on her arm the nail. Not too deep, but plenty painful. Peppy pulled some gauze from his hair to wrap the cut.

"Rose, are you—" Barnabas froze. He inhaled deeply, and his round pupils turned to cat-eye pupils. "OH….that smells good…"

"Intervention!" Steve and Irwin shouted, body-slamming Barnabas before he could snap up the trolls. They pinned him to a wall.

"Just a bite!" Barnabas snarled and hissed.

"Keep it together, mate!" Steve said.

"Trolls are friends, not food!" Irwin agreed.

Barnabas suddenly broke free and charged for Peppy and Rosiepuff. Peppy pushed the thermos towards a hole in the floorboards of the boat. He grabbed Rosiepuff and pulled her down after the thermos, narrowly avoiding Barnabas's teeth. They landed on a couch in the lower deck of the boat.

"Run for it!" Peppy urged, he and Rosiepuff grabbing the thermos as they dashed away. Barnabas broke through the wood floor and darted after them. The crocodile chased Rosiepuff and Peppy all around the room and then right out the door. They ducked into a kitchen area, still dragging the thermos behind them. Peppy and Rosiepuff went up a broom and onto the counter, but Barnabas's claws almost caught them as he scrambled after them. Luckily, the two trolls managed to dive into a metal oven, slamming the barred door behind them. Barnabas clawed and scratched at the door, still hissing and snarling.

"Now what?" Rosiepuff asked.

Peppy looked around the dimly lit area. He guided Rosiepuff to a rusted hole in the back of the oven, and they quietly snuck out. They snuck into a hole in a wall where a dumbwaiter once rested, and they extended their hair to grab the broken rope above them.

Suddenly, Barnabas came from behind and snapped his teeth. He missed the trolls, but he did catch the strap of the thermos and wrench it from Peppy's hands. Peppy tried to go back, but Rosiepuff pulled him along and they climbed up the ropes. Barnabas darted away, evidently going to the other dumbwaiter entrances to catch the trolls. Steve's and Irwin's shouts could be heard as they desperately tried to calm their friend. Peppy and Rosiepuff reached the main deck again, and they hid behind some crates when Barnabas arrived. The crocodile hissed and snarled, sniffing the air to find his prey.

"Psst." Rosiepuff whispered.

"Shush!" Peppy hissed.

"But I have a question."

"What could be so important?"

"What does 'dahn-grr' mean?"

"What?"

Rosiepuff pointed to the words printed on the crate they hid behind. "That there. It's spelled just like 'danger,' but I don't think—"

"You can read that?" Peppy gasped. "You know how to read bergen?"

"I can?" Rosiepuff gasped in realization. "Oh, yes! I know how to read bergen!"

Peppy looked to Barnabas, who still slunk around the floor. "We have to get that thermos."

Steve and Irwin arrived, and they tackled Barnabas to the ground. "Just take it easy, Barns!" Steve said. "Deep breaths!"

"Yeah, no need to eat our new friends!" Irwin agreed.

Rosiepuff dashed towards Barnabas before Peppy could protest. She managed to snatch the thermos from Barnabas's teeth before she turned tail and ran for it. She and Peppy scurried up a table leg just as Barnabas broke free and rushed after them. Peppy skidded to a halt and pushed against a lantern on the table. With Rosiepuff helping him, they managed to push the lantern over and into Barnabas's open mouth. Rosiepuff and Peppy pulled the thermos with them as they ran. Barnabas, feeling the burning sensation of the lantern on his mouth, threw his head to one side in order to throw the lantern away. The lantern soared through the air and broke upon landing in the box of explosives, which turned out to be fireworks.

"Uh oh." Irwin gulped.

"Barnabas." Steve whimpered.

Hearing the concern in his friends' voices kicked in a protective instinct, and Barnabas's eyes returned to normal as he snapped out of it. "What?" He turned and saw the lit fuses of the fireworks. He gasped. "Run away! Run away!"

Peppy and Rosiepuff paused to watch the crocodiles run out of the boat as fast as their legs could carry them. "Huh. Guess the party's over." Rosiepuff said. She and Peppy jumped when the first firework went off, followed shortly by several others.

"Get in the thermos!" Peppy urged. He and Rosiepuff just managed to fit in the soup thermos, and they covered their ears as the fireworks exploded outside. The force of all the explosions caused damage to the boat and sent the thermos bouncing and ricocheting off surfaces.

Peppy and Rosiepuff were quickly knocked out.


	5. The Tank Trolls

**A/N: Here's the next one! Enjoy! Glad you guys liked the Steve Irwin reference. Every time I think of crocodiles, I think of my childhood hero.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five – The Tank Trolls**

It was a long, bumpy, terrifying ride in the saddlebag of the bergen who captured her. Poppy just curled up in a ball and sat in the corner of the cage, sobbing out her fear. By the time she tired herself out, it took another hour before she heard the footsteps outside change. The moose's hooves made a _clip-clop_ sound instead of soft thudding through the grass and dirt of the forest. Soon, the moose stopped entirely, and the flap to the saddlebag opened. The older bergen slowly pulled out the wire cage. Though he smiled at Poppy kindly, she still cowered.

"Here, son." The older bergen passed the cage to the younger one. "Why don't you go introduce this little one to the others?"

"Thanks, Dad!" the younger bergen had lighter skin compared to his father, and a green mop of hair. He wore blue pants, a red-and-white striped shirt, and sandals with socks. The young bergen held up the cage to his eyes and smiled. "Hi in there."

Poppy still shook fearfully.

"Oh, don't be afraid." The bergen said. "I'm Gristle Jr. That's my dad, Gristle Sr. We own this pet shop." He pointed behind Poppy, and she saw a small white building with a sign above the door that read "Sr. and Jr. Pet Shop." Gristle Jr. brought Poppy inside, and she saw all sorts of things: toys, food, enclosures, and more animals. Lots of different animals, and very few Poppy recognized from the forest. Gristle Jr. continued to talk as he brought Poppy farther back into the store. "Dad saw you struggling out there, and I think we can help. We'll give you a chance at a longer life when you're domesticated. I think you'll be really happy here."

 _I was happy back there with my dad._ Poppy wanted to say that, but she had a feeling this bergen wouldn't understand her.

Gristle Jr. approached a glass tank, filled with dirt and plants and rocks and pieces of wood. There were also several food and water dishes. "This will be your home, now." Gristle Jr. gently picked up Poppy, who was too afraid to try and wriggle away. "I think I'll call you….Pinkie! You'll meet your friends in there, too. I hope you all get along." He carefully lowered Poppy into the tank, and then dropped her crutches in there. "I don't know what happened to you out there, Pinkie." Gristle Jr. said, an adoring smile on his lips. "But I promise I'll take care of you." He returned to his father to help him unpack the moose and unsaddle them.

Poppy didn't like being trapped, but at least Gristle Jr. was nice. She picked up her crutches and leaned on them as she stood. Looking around, the interior of the tank did remind her very much of the forest where she was born and raised. But didn't Gristle Jr. say there were other trolls in here?

Poppy heard a rustle in the shrubbery, and she gasped. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She saw flashes of shadows, but no trolls. So Poppy tried hobbling around to explore her surroundings. As she pushed through the shrubbery, she saw a hole in front of her that led right to outside! What luck! "Freedom!" Poppy cheered, hobbling as fast as she could towards the outside.

 _THUNK!_

Landing right on her tailbone, Poppy shook her head to get rid of her dizziness. She stood again and reached a hand out. Her hand touched the glass, and she realized she wouldn't be getting out this way.

"Told you she'd run into the glass!"

"I didn't think she was _that_ dumb!"

Poppy gasped and spun around, but she saw no one.

"Shh! That's not nice! She's so little."

"So am I, but I'm almost totally grown up."

"You're twelve. I hardly call that grown up."

"Look at the little darling. She's probably younger than you, Smidge."

"Hello?" Poppy called out, and the whispers stopped. "Please. Don't hide."

"Should we reveal ourselves?"

"Well, it's not like she doesn't know we're here."

Poppy was on the verge of tears. "Someone please help. I want to go home. Do any of you know where my daddy is?"

Someone finally stepped out: a fifteen-year-old troll with lavender skin, blue-green hair, and indigo eyes. He had glitter freckles and wore a pair of yellow pants. He knelt to be more at Poppy's eye-level, and he smiled gently. "Love, your father's probably back at the other pet store."

"Other pet store?" Poppy repeated.

"That's where several of us came from." The boy explained. "My name is Creek. Hang on." He turned to the seemingly empty tank. "Come on out, mates! Let's welcome our new tank-mate properly." More troll teens emerged from their hiding spots, surprising Poppy. She hadn't realized there were so many in here. One troll even carried a glowworm wearing a top hat. Creek put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "All right, mates, you know the drill. Say your name and your age and….how about we say our favorite hobby?" The other trolls nodded in agreement.

"My name's Suki. I'm fourteen years old. I love writing music."

"I'm Biggie. I'm twelve years old, and I love playing dress-up with Mr. Dinkles."

"I'm Satin, and this is my sister, Chenille. We're thirteen and we love to make clothes."

"I'm Guy Diamond, and I'm eleven! I love to dance!"

"I'm Smidge! I'm twelve, and I love lifting large rocks for weightlifting practice!"

"And I'm Creek, as I said before." Creek said to Poppy. "I'm fifteen, and I love meditating. That's Fuzzbert over there." Fuzzbert made a strange garbling noise. "Yeah, sometimes it's hard for us to understand him, too. But he wants you to know he's thirteen years old and he loves playing the kazoo. Now you tell us who you are."

Poppy swallowed. "I'm Poppy. I'm ten years old. I love reading. And I shouldn't be here. I want to go home."

"This _is_ home, kiddo." Guy Diamond said. "Besides, based on what happened to your leg, I'd say you're better off here."

"Yeah, where'd you come from, anyway?" Suki asked.

"The forest. I was taken from the meadow." Poppy replied timidly. Everyone gasped in shock.

"The forest?" Creek repeated. "You really _should_ consider yourself lucky. Gristle Jr. might have saved your life."

"Yeah, you'll be safe and happy with us." Satin said.

"We'll take good care of you." Chenille promised.

Poppy's lower lip trembled, and she broke down into tears. "But I want to go home! I wanted to go back to my daddy!"

Creek pulled Poppy into a comforting hug. "Poppy, it'll be okay. You'll be safe here. No one will ever hurt you."

Poppy sniffled, rubbing her eyes dry. She jumped when she heard a loud _THUD_ , and the trolls turned to the window. It was now open after something ran into it. A wingdingle flew up and perched himself on the windowsill's plant box. Remembering her father's warnings about the dangers of wingdingles, Poppy hid behind Creek.

"Hey guys!" the wingdingle greeted.

"Hi Randy!" the trolls, sans Poppy, said back.

"How was your trip to your brother's nest?" Biggie asked.

"Lovely!" Randy said. "He's got some little ones running about, and they already love their Uncle Randy. How are things going in here?"

"Same, as usual." Suki said. "With one exception." She nodded to Poppy, and Creek encouraged her out of hiding.

"Well, hello there!" Randy greeted. "Who are you?"

"She's Poppy." Smidge said. "Gristle Sr. found her out in the meadow."

"Oh, from my neck of the woods, eh?" Randy chuckled. "Don't worry, little lass. I only eat fish."

"Randy's a good friend of ours." Guy Diamond explained to Poppy. "Always keeping us updated on the things going on around Bergen Town."

"Hey!" Gristle Sr. shouted as he marched over. "Those aren't your trolls. Scat!"

"Oops! Gotta go!" Randy laughed. "Nice meeting you, Poppy!" The wingdingle flew off, and Gristle Sr. shut the window again. He muttered to himself as he marched off.

"Why don't we give you a tour?" Creek offered. "We'll need to find a good place for you to sleep."

Poppy wasn't sure she had a choice, so she followed Creek while the rest of the pet shop trolls followed her. They spoke words of comfort, steadily easing the young troll's fears. After walking around and through the entirety of the tank, Poppy realized Gristle Jr. really did his research in order to make a proper habitat for the trolls.

"Over there is the clearing where we play ball." Creek said. "There's another water dish. They're scattered around the area. Just fish out a cup from the dish and use that to drink. The food dish is over there in the corner, and Gristle Jr. feeds us thrice a day. There's lots of shade, and we play plenty of games to keep us occupied. If you come over here, you can see most of the pet shop." Creek led Poppy to the glass wall that faced the interior of the store. From there, Poppy saw other animals in their habitats. They looked content and even happy. Evidently, Gristle Sr. and his son took good care of the pets they kept and sold.

"Now we just have to find you a place to sleep." Suki said. "What was your old home like?"

"Daddy and I stayed in a pod, hanging from a tree." Poppy said.

"What about your mom?" Smidge asked.

Poppy shrugged. "Never met her. Daddy doesn't like to talk about her."

The trolls of the tank exchanged sad looks, understanding at once. "Well, maybe you'll fit best in a hammock." Satin suggested.

"We can make it for you!" Chenille offered. "Just tell us where you want it."

Poppy looked around. She did a perfect double-take when she noticed something close to one of the side walls of the tank. It looked like an owl statue, like one used to scare away pigeons, but the statue had softer eyes and was in the form of a snowy owl. There was a hole down near the bottom, and one up by one of its extended wings. The way the wings and the bird were positioned made it look like an angel.

"Can you put my bed near that thing?" Poppy requested. "Wherever you think is best, but near that. I feel safer with that thing."

"Can do!" the twins said, immediately running off for the supplies.

"Why don't you guys go see if there's anything left from dinner?" Creek suggested. "I think Gristle Jr. dropped off some food while we were on our tour for little Poppy." The other trolls nodded and hurried away.

"So, are you the…..uh….." Poppy tried to think of the right word. "The la-fa?"

Creek chuckled. "I think you mean 'alpha,' and no, not really. I'm more of the beta. That's the second-in-command. Branch is our alpha. He's the oldest, beating me by a few months. He actually lives in that thing." He jerked a thumb towards the owl statue.

"How come he isn't out here?" Poppy asked.

"He's….shy, I guess. Or I guess reserved." Creek said. "He likes to keep to himself. But he'll come out eventually, and then you'll get to meet him. Just don't be too alarmed by his appearance."

"What do you mean?" Poppy asked.

"You'll know when you see him." Creek said, leaving it at that.

With the help of her new friends, Poppy soon had her own little bed where she could sleep that night. She wanted nothing more than to leave and go home, but she was thankful for the kindness of these trolls. Now, she had a hammock just her size, strung up sturdily between two pole structures. Smidge brought her a pillow, and Suki had a blanket to spare. Guy Diamond, Smidge, and Fuzzbert took the leftovers from their dinner and brought them to her, but Poppy didn't eat much. The pet shop trolls asked Poppy all sorts of questions about the forest, and it amused Poppy to hear of their enthusiasm on the subject. Gristle Jr. bid the trolls goodnight on his way to bed, and Randy even stopped by on his way home to chat. As night fell and everyone drifted to sleep, Suki helped Poppy climb into her hammock.

"You're going to like it here." Suki said. "Don't you worry about a thing."

"Thank you." Poppy said politely, pulling her blanket over her. She didn't want to tell Suki that she'd rather die than stay here, away from her father. As Suki left and Poppy settled for sleep, her thoughts wandered back to her father. He must be so worried about her. Unless he had already been killed. That thought made Poppy wince, and she burrowed deeper in her hammock.

Poppy glanced up to the owl statue. In the light of the moon, the statue seemed to glow with a comforting light. She wondered if Branch was already asleep, or if he watched her now from the eyes of the statue.

* * *

Fuzzbert woke Poppy the next morning to have breakfast, and the trolls all gathered around to eat the berries and nuts Gristle Jr. left for them.

"Is Branch going to join us?" Poppy asked.

"Nah. He usually takes his breakfast before we do and goes back to his owl." Smidge said.

Poppy looked to the owl statue. "Branch likes to be alone, doesn't he?" The other tank trolls nodded.

Their breakfast was interrupted by the door to the shop swinging open so fast it banged against the wall. The customer slammed the door shut behind her, and Gristle Sr. let out a growl.

"What do you want, Chef?" Gristle Sr. demanded.

The tank trolls gasped. "Just act normal." Creek whispered. "Just be very, very calm." Poppy wasn't sure what was going on. She didn't like how tense everyone looked. She stole a glance to the bergen at the door, and she saw this female bergen had purple-gray skin, pale blue hair, and wore a chef's outfit, hence her name.

"Well, let's see." Chef mused in response to Gristle Sr.'s question. "I'm in a pet store. What reason could I possibly have for being here?"

"I told you that I would never sell you another pet!" Gristle Sr. said. "Not after what happened to the ones you always returned."

"It's not for me." Chef said. "My rotten little stepdaughter's birthday is next week. I figured that, if she had a pet to keep her occupied, she'd leave me alone more often."

Gristle Jr. had been sweeping the floor by the trolls' tank, but he perked up when he heard Chef. "Bridget's birthday is next week?"

"Oh, right. She's having a party this Friday." Chef pulled out a bright pink envelope and threw it like a frisbee. Gristle Jr. caught it excitedly. Despite what Chef said about her stepdaughter, Gristle Jr. knew that Bridget was kind and gentle and oh so sweet. Gristle Jr. had had a crush on her for ages, and discovered that she certainly blossomed in her teenage years.

Gristle Sr. narrowed his eyes at Chef. "You swear it's for your stepdaughter? You won't be touching the animal or returning it?"

"Yes, yes, whatever. Now may I go browse?" Chef demanded.

Gristle Sr. did not like Chef one bit. However, he knew his son had a crush on Bridget, and he also knew Bridget was nothing like her stepmother. So he gestured for Chef to go ahead into the shop. Chef meandered down the aisle, pretending to look at the other creatures when really she was making a beeline for the troll tank.

"Hide!" Creek hissed. The trolls scurried away into the foliage of their enclosure. Poppy tried to hurry after them, but tripped and hit the ground.

Chef peered into the tank, and she spied Poppy first. The sight of a handicapped troll piqued her interest, and already she imagined the things she could do to the little creature while her daughter wasn't looking. "I'll do you a favor and take that pink one off your hands. She must be quite a burden."

"Oh, Pinkie's not a burden." Gristle Jr. said. But Chef didn't listen to him.

"Well, Gristle?" Chef asked the owner of the shop.

Gristle Sr. thought for a moment. He had caught that troll because he wanted his son to give the creature a better life. He feared what would happen if she went to live with Chef. Then again, if the troll belonged solely to Bridget, surely she could be trusted. "Very well. Why don't you and Bridget come down to the store next week, on her birthday, and she can pick out whichever troll she'd like. Is that all right with you, son?"

"Yeah!" Gristle Jr. nodded. "Bridget's nice. She'll take good care of whichever troll she wants."

"Very good. But keep that pink one reserved. I'm sure I'll be perfect for my stepdaughter." Chef marched from the store, slamming the door shut after her. Gristle Sr. sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Gristle Jr. understood his father's concerns about leaving a pet with Chef. But as long as it was Bridget taking care of the troll, Gristle Jr. knew everything would be fine. He continued his sweeping.

Back in the tank, the trolls emerged from their hiding places looking scared. "Oh man, this is bad!" Guy Diamond gulped.

"What are we going to do?" Biggie whimpered.

"Everyone just calm down!" Creek said, though he looked just as anxious. "I'm sure we can figure this out."

"Why?" Poppy asked worriedly. "What's wrong with that bergen?"

"She's a troll killer!" Smidge said.

"Smidge!" Creek hissed, not wanting to scare Poppy.

But Smidge didn't hear Creek's warning, still talking to Poppy. "She takes a troll every time she comes into the shop, and then she experiments on them! She tortures them! When she's all done, she returns the troll to the pet store. But the troll always dies from being hurt so much!"

Now, Poppy began hyperventilating. Chef had chosen _her_ , which means she'd be next to be experimented on! "I can't go with her!"

"Poppy, calm down." Creek jumped when Poppy hobbled past him as fast as she could. "Poppy!"

"I have to get out of here!" Poppy cried desperately. "I want to go back to my dad!" She made it to the other side of the tank, where she tripped (again) and bounced and rolled across the ground. She landed on a blanket, and ended up going right through a hole in the corner of the tank. She grabbed the edge of the hole, dangling precariously over the darkness below.

"Poppy!" the tank trolls cried as they searched for her.

"Help me!" Poppy screamed.

"Oh my gah!" Smidge gasped as everyone hurried over.

"Hang on, Poppy!" Guy Diamond called.

" _Nobody touch her!"_

Everyone froze just before they reached the hole. They glanced up to the owl statue, and a figure emerged from the hole near the wing: a troll with grey skin, black hair, and icy blue eyes. He wore brown shorts and a green, leaf-designed vest. The shadows cast by the morning light streaming through the window shrouded the right side of the troll's body.

The grey troll stared down at the group below. He jumped down, using his hair to swing himself to the floor of the cage. "Nobody touch her." He repeated, walking up towards the hole. The tank trolls stepped aside, allowing the eldest and wisest troll in the tank—their leader—approach Poppy.

"Are you gonna help me?" Poppy asked hopefully.

"No." the grey troll said. "You got yourself down there, you can get yourself out."

"But Branch—" Satin piped up timidly.

"I just want to see her do it!" Branch snapped. Poppy whimpered, struggling to keep her grip on the edge of the hole. Branch looked down to her with a mildly softer gaze. "Take it easy. All you have to do is haul yourself up."

"I can't!" Poppy said. "I have a bad leg!"

"Never stopped me." Branch turned to walk around the edge of the hole. As the right side of his body came into the light, Poppy gasped. Branch had scars—burns and cuts—on the right side of his face and all over his right arm. That arm even sat limply in a sling, and looked like it had no muscle since Branch couldn't really use it anymore. Branch crouched down and stared at Poppy in the eyes. "Think about what you need to do, and how you need to do it. Then go."

Poppy never had someone have so much faith in her. She took a deep breath and thought about how she could crawl out. Well, first, she needed to stop dangling. So she swung her elbow up, then the other, and now she had a better grip. Branch stepped back, and the other trolls watched hopefully. Poppy hauled herself up a little more so her stomach leaned on the edge. She looked to Branch, who nodded encouragingly. Poppy swung up her good leg. It took a few tries, but she managed to hook her heel on the edge and maneuver herself around so she could pull herself up. She did a little roll and sat up to realize she did it. She actually did it, all on her own. She smiled at Branch.

"Very good." Branch nodded.

The trolls cheered, gathering around Poppy and returning her crutches to her. Poppy blushed at all the attention. She was so proud of herself for being able to do something physical on her own. Creek grabbed the blanket and covered up the hole again.

"You know, she's from the forest, just like you." Creek noted to Branch.

Branch nodded slowly. "Yeah. I can tell."

Creek smirked. "I recognize _that_ look. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Branch chuckled. "Yeah. Tonight, we're giving her a proper welcoming."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, that should be all the casting choices except for some of the creatures we'll see later in the story. This story is not going to follow** _ **Finding Nemo**_ **word-for-word. In fact, there's a very specific reason I have Rosiepuff and Branch in their roles (plus, I'm kind of addicted to those characters, LOL).**

 **The reason I put Peppy and Rosiepuff in those roles was mainly because I want to focus a story on some background characters we didn't get to hear from much in the movie. I might try some more of that in my other stories.**


	6. Angry Angler

**A/N: I knew you guys would like seeing Branch in Gill's role! I thought he'd be perfect for it. Your questions about his scars will soon be answered.**

 **Reby Montana – Branch is 15, a few months older than Creek.**

* * *

 **Chapter Six – Angry Angler**

"Poppy…" Peppy murmured in his sleep, dreaming of his daughter. He didn't want to wake up from the happy dream. But consciousness forced its way back, and he blinked his eyes open. He almost jumped when he saw Rosiepuff napping right next to him, and then everything from last night came rushing back.

The vegetarian crocodiles. The unwanted dating advice. Barnabas going crazy. Getting the thermos back. The boat exploding. In fact, they were still in the thermos, safe and sound.

 _But we can't stay here. I need Rosiepuff to read the thermos so we can find Poppy._ Peppy felt something warm on his hand, and he realized Rosiepuff held his hand in hers in a gentle grip. Peppy suddenly felt uncomfortable, realizing he might've unconsciously took Rosiepuff's hand while he slept similarly to how he held Joy's hand so long ago. Peppy tried to slip his hand out, but Rosiepuff tightened her grip on his fingers.

"Don't go…." She murmured in her sleep. "Don't go….don't go…"

Pain stabbed at Peppy's heart, and he wondered if Rosiepuff really did have a family somewhere who worried for her. Even if she didn't remember them at the moment, she must have _some_ memories of the love they shared with her.

"Rosiepuff." Peppy said softly. "Wake up." When Rosiepuff still didn't stir, Peppy spoke up. "Rosiepuff…" Again, nothing. Peppy tried again. "Rose!"

Rosiepuff yelped, jolting upright. She hit her head on the inside of the thermos. "Ow….." She moaned, rubbing her head.

"Sorry." Peppy said.

"Where are we?" Rosiepuff asked.

"Still in the thermos, alive." Peppy said. "Hang on." He poked his head out of the opening to the thermos and saw a clear, sunny day. It was already midmorning, meaning the explosion had knocked them out and they slept soundly.

"Well, let's go!" Rosiepuff called from inside. "It's cramped in here!"

Peppy moved to climb out, but then froze. "Uh….that might be a problem."

The force of the explosion knocked the boat off its sturdy foundation in the tree, and now it hung in the vines and branches precariously over the swamp. The strap of the thermos hung off a broken piece of the deck railing.

"So what do we do?" Rosiepuff asked.

Peppy thought for a moment. "Okay. Just follow my lead. And be careful!" He slowly crawled out of the thermos, keeping a tight grip on the strap of the thermos. Rosiepuff followed him, jumping when she saw the predicament they were in. The thermos slipped a little, but stayed on the railing. Peppy helped Rosiepuff climb up and hang onto the strap. They slid the thermos off the railing and pulled it along as they made their way up towards the boat deck.

Unfortunately, even their small movements made the already unstable boat even more treacherous. The vines holding the boat snapped. The two trolls shouted in terror as they fell and hit the water, still holding onto the thermos. When the boat crashed into the water, it kicked up a wave that swept the trolls and the thermos away and washed them ashore. Peppy and Rosiepuff landed on some soft moss, which cushioned their landing.

"That worked out well." Rosiepuff mused.

Peppy gasped. "The thermos! Where is it?!" He and Rosiepuff jumped when the thermos landed near them, bouncing over their heads and rolling away. "No! Get it, quick!" Peppy ran after the thermos as it rolled away. It rolled right into a large hole a short distance away and disappeared in the darkness. Peppy ran in after it. Not two seconds later, he retreated from the darkness and pinned himself to the rock outside the hole. He stared into the hole, panting softly.

Rosiepuff watched this, shrugged, and stood to leave. She really didn't see any reason to be there anymore. If he wanted the thermos so badly, he could go after it himself. But when she looked back to Peppy and saw that hopeless expression on his face, she felt a pang of pity. She sighed and walked up to him with a big smile on her face.

"Hey. What's up?" she asked.

"It's gone. The thermos is gone." Peppy moaned in despair.

"Well what'd you drop it down a hole for?" Rosiepuff asked.

Peppy glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me _you_ could read bergen _before_ a crocodile stole it?"

"What's so important about an old thermos?" Rosiepuff shrugged.

"Because that thermos was the only clue I had to finding my daughter, and now it's gone!" Peppy sighed heavily, softly banging his head against the rock.

Rosiepuff looked to the hole, where the thermos disappeared. She glanced back to Peppy, and then walked up closer with another smile. "Hey Mr. Pouty Pants." She spoke as though talking to a toddler. Peppy stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "When life knocks you down, you know what you do?"

"I don't want to know." Peppy droned, irritated by Rosiepuff's cheeriness.

" _Get up, get up, gotta get up and try again!"_ Rosiepuff sang. _"Can't stop now, finish what you begin!"_

"Rosiepuff, please stop singing." Peppy said as Rosiepuff grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the hole. Any other time or place, he would enjoy a song; but this was _so not_ the time nor the place. Still, Rosiepuff continued to sing as she led him down into the darkness.

 _You've got to  
Get up, get up  
Try it again!  
Don't stop, don't stop  
Finish what you begin!  
Push on, pull through  
Over every hurdle  
Don't let anything get in your way!  
Just get up!_

Peppy groaned in irritation. "Stop with that song! Now it's in my head!"

"Sorry." Rosiepuff said sheepishly. By then, it was totally dark. So dark that they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces.

Peppy twisted his hand around to take Rosiepuff's wrist so they wouldn't get lost. "Rosiepuff—"

"Ah! Something grabbed me!" Rosiepuff yelped.

"Sorry!" Peppy said, not letting go. "That was me."

"Me who?"

"Who else?"

"Uh….my imaginary friend?"

Peppy growled in frustration, but decided to play along for the sake of getting out of there sooner. "Yes, you know what? Yes. It's me, your imaginary friend. How are you?"

"Eh, same old, same old." Rosiepuff said.

"Great." Peppy said. "Now, listen closely. Do you see anything?"

"Um…nothing there….or there….or—oh! Over there! I see a light!"

"A light?"

"Are we dead?"

"No, no, I see it."

There was a light, just ahead of them. A small light in the immense darkness. Rosiepuff and Peppy stepped up the white, iridescent spot, staring in awe.

"It's pretty." Rosiepuff breathed.

"It's so…alluring….." Peppy was completely captivated.

"Do you think it's hot?" Rosiepuff asked.

"I don't know. You touch it." Peppy was entranced by the light, but he would leave the dangerous stuff to the troll dumb enough to try it.

Rosiepuff reach out and touched the light. It wasn't hot, but it did jerk at the contact. It started to move away. "Hey, where you going, little guy?" Rosiepuff cooed as she and Peppy followed the light.

"Come on back here, little light." Peppy chuckled.

"Get back here!" Rosiepuff laughed.

"I've got you!" Peppy reached out and teasingly tried to grab the light. He purposely aimed high, and he ended up grabbing a sort of string-like thing that felt suspiciously like skin and cartilage. The two trolls froze when they heard a hiss. They slowly turned around and saw a pair of jaws filled with many pointy, needle-like teeth.

"Uh oh." Rosiepuff intoned.

"Not good." Peppy agreed.

More lights appeared on the body of a hungry angler-snake, which hissed menacingly at the trolls. Peppy and Rosiepuff screamed in fear and ran for their lives. The snake gave a chase. The two trolls ran as fast as they could, but it didn't help that their only source of light was attached to the very thing that wanted to eat them.

"Which way do we go?" Rosiepuff asked.

"Any way!" Peppy yelped. He suddenly spotted something familiar, and he stopped. "The thermos!"

"What thermos?" Rosiepuff asked right before Peppy pulled her down to avoid the snake's lunge. The trolls were cast in darkness while the angler-snake used its light to try and find them. "Hey!" Rosiepuff complained. "Who turned out the lights?" The snake heard her and whipped around to cast its light over the two trolls.

"Oh boy!" Peppy gulped. "Rosiepuff, read the thermos!" He darted away as the snake slithered after him.

"What words do I read?" Rosiepuff turned and the light flashed over long enough for her to see the words carved on the thermos. "Oh, right. Do you think you can get the light over here? I can't see a thing!" During the chase, the light did indeed stretch over to her. "Great! Keep it right there!"

"Just read the darned thing!" Peppy shouted, jumping to avoid the snake's teeth.

"All right! Geez! Keep your hair on." Rosiepuff rolled her eyes. She looked to the words printed on the thermos and began sounding out the first line. "Grai…grih…..gris…grist-lay? No, grist-lee….uh….."

Peppy ducked behind a rock, and the angler-snake bit that instead of him. He grabbed the light of the snake and shined it towards Rosiepuff so she could read. "Well?"

"It says 'Gristle Sr.'!" Rosiepuff reported.

"That doesn't help—" He yelped when the snake pulled him into the air, and he dangled from the light and desperately tried to avoid the snake's teeth. The snake swung Peppy around and smashed the troll against a wall. He hit the ground, barely able to jump aside when the snake lunged for him again. When the snake tried to go for Rosiepuff, seemingly the easier target, Peppy threw another rock to get the snake to chase him again. "Rosiepuff!" Peppy shouted. "What else does it say?"

"The next line is '114' and something else. I'm almost there!" Rosiepuff reported.

"Well hurry up!" Peppy cried desperately. He ran about the darkness, almost tripping half a dozen times on rocks he couldn't see until they were right at his feet. He saw the wall coming up, and he made a hairpin turn that the snake couldn't make. The snake smashed face-first into the wall, and Peppy shined the light back towards Rosiepuff.

"Okay, the full line is '114 Glitter Avenue.'" Rosiepuff said.

"Great, now speed read the next part and let's go!" Peppy urged. He yelped when the snake pulled him into the air again. The snake bashed Peppy on the ground, and the troll wobbled as he stood. Before he could run again, the snake wrapped its coils around Peppy and began constricting him. Peppy gasped, unable to move. "Rosiepuff…."

Rosiepuff was still focused on reading now that the light had stopped moving. "Ber….bergahn….no, beer-gain? No….."

"Rose…." Peppy's voice came out as a wheeze. He fought to keep his eyes open.

"Tow…..town? Beer-gain town? No." Rosiepuff thought for a brief moment.

The snake watched its prey struggle, waiting patiently for the troll to expire so it could swallow him whole.

"Oh! Bergen Town! It says Bergen Town!" Rosiepuff turned to Peppy excitedly. That's when she finally saw his predicament, and the fact that he was nearly dead and about to be eaten. She gasped. "Peppy!" Scrambling for an idea, she found a good-sized rock and pushed it into the stretchy strap of the thermos. She pulled back the strap as far as she could. "Hey ugly! Even braces can't fix your teeth!"

Whether it was the insult or Rosiepuff's shout that caught the snake's attention, the angler-snake took its eyes off Peppy and hissed at Rosiepuff, giving her the chance to shoot the rock out of her makeshift slingshot. The rock sailed into the snake's maw, and the snake's coils loosened enough for Peppy to inhale deeply. Rosiepuff pulled him from the snake's coils while the angler-snake tried to beat the rock out of his mouth. The two trolls ran from the cave and escaped out into the open air. They kept running until they both collapsed from falling off an adrenaline rush. They panted, Peppy coughing and feeling his ribs for any cracks.

"Did you….just…..save my life?" Peppy asked Rosiepuff.

Rosiepuff smoothed out her hair. "I don't know. Did I?"

"Never mind." Peppy said, making a mental note to find a way to thank Rosiepuff later. "What did the thermos say?"

"Gristle Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue, Bergen Town." Rosiepuff gasped. "I don't believe it! I remembered what it said! I actually remembered it!"

"Great! Now where is that?" Peppy asked.

"No idea, but I don't care!" Rosiepuff picked up Peppy in a bone-crushing hug. "I remembered something!"

"Ribs! Can't breathe!" Peppy gasped.

* * *

That night, long after Gristle Sr. and his son closed up the pet shop, Poppy settled down to sleep in her hammock. She accomplished something huge today. Well, it was huge for her. She wished Branch hadn't disappeared so soon after helping her. Quite mysterious, that one.

"Psst."

Poppy vaguely heard the whisper, but what woke her up was Fuzzbert shaking her hammock. She looked up and saw him gesturing for her to follow him. Poppy picked up her crutches and followed Fuzzbert through the tank. It looked so different in the nighttime, and the shadows mildly frightened Poppy. She stayed close behind Fuzzbert. After a moment, she heard strange singing coming from the shadows. As she hobbled her way to a cluster of rocks ahead, she saw the other members of the tank trolls. They wore strange outfits and had face paint on, looking silly and ominous at the same time. Fuzzbert helped Poppy up onto one of the rocks, and Poppy saw Branch already there and waiting for her. The trolls gathered around, and their leader held up a hand to halt their chanting and music.

"Welcome, pink troll of the forest, to your official initiation." Branch said.

"Initiation?" Poppy repeated. She never heard that word.

"By completing a single task of bravery and strength, you will prove yourself worthy of being part of the Tank Trolls." Branch explained. "A sacred society of trolls who share strength and defend one another, fighting for freedom."

Poppy blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"We're bringing you into our family." Suki whispered to her.

"Really?" Poppy asked happily.

"All you have to do is jump from this rock to that one." Branch pointed to a rock a short distance away. The distance between the two rocks wasn't much. In fact, Branch took a running start and easily leaped over the gap. The Tank Trolls cheered in encouragement for Poppy. The pink troll thought for a moment. She couldn't get as much of a running start as Branch. Even with one, she'd need a little more oomph. She looked around and saw a pole sitting horizontally above her, where Fuzzbert's leaf nest sat. Lighting up with an idea, Poppy moved to the edge of the rock and hopped forward as fast as she could. She used one of her crutches to pole vault off the edge of the rock. Then she stretched out her hair, farther than she ever tried before, and managed to loop her hair around the pole to swing herself over to the other rock. Her hair slipped before she could let go, and Branch used his hair to catch her and set her down gently. He retrieved her crutches and handed them to her.

"How was that?" Poppy asked nervously.

Branch chortled. "Very good." He turned to the Tank Trolls as they gathered around. "Let it be known: our new sister's nickname shall be…" He thought for a moment. "Princess!"

"Yay! Princess Poppy!" The Tank Trolls gathered around and hugged Poppy.

"Do you all have nicknames, too?" Poppy asked.

"Yes! Cute little names we earned during initiation." Suki said. "Mine's Headphones."

"My nickname is Namaste." Creek added.

"Glitter Bomb!" Guy Diamond cheered.

"Muscles." Smidge said proudly.

"Blueberry." Biggie said with a wide smile.

"We're the Sewing Sisters." Satin and Chenille said simultaneously.

Fuzzbert made a garbled sound, which Smidge translated to, "Hairball."

"And Branch is called Tyto." Creek said. "For obvious reasons." He glanced to Branch's owl home, and Poppy got the feeling 'Tyto' was a word that meant 'owl.' Seeing how owls were wise and strong, Poppy understood why Branch got that nickname.

"And you are our Princess, our precious little sister." Branch said to Poppy. "And we're not going to let Chef take you. In fact, no one is going to be taken. We're going to escape."

The Tank Trolls looked both hopeful and nervous. "Branch, really?" Biggie asked. "It's just that…well, your plans don't always work."

"But this time is different." Branch said. "Because we have her." He pointed to Poppy.

"What can I do?" Poppy asked.

"Let me show you." Branch led everyone to the side panel where the hole in the corner rested. "I've been chipping away at that hole for over a year, and now it's finally big enough and deep enough to get out. Now, you would think that means we can simply go down through the hole, into the cabinets below us, and waltz out the door. But, unfortunately, we have to deal with Lucifer."

Poppy gulped. Lucifer was the resident watchdog, who made sure nobody stole from the shop. Unfortunately, Lucifer was so good at her job that she'd also try to "rescue" any animal who escaped, which would result in that animal getting hurt by Lucifer's teeth. "So why the hole?"

Branch pointed down the counter. "See that power cord over there? That connects to the heater that keeps our enclosure at the proper temperature. It's been so hot outside that Gristle Sr. keeps the AC kicked on high, which means Gristle Jr. needs to keep this tank heated just enough to keep us from getting sick from the cold. There isn't enough light coming through the window to keep us warm, so he installed a heater for the tank. He only ever turns it off in the winter when his dad cranks up the heat in the shop. But if we can sever that cord that powers the heater, Gristle will have to replace it."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Creek said. The other Tank Trolls nodded in agreement.

"Now, this is what we're going to do." Branch said. "Poppy here is going to go out through that hole and through the cabinet. Then she'll climb/swing herself up to the counter, and she'll go over to the cord and cut it with this." Branch pulled a saw from his hair, carved from a metal grooming brush he found in the cabinet below them. "The handle is rubber, so the cord won't shock or electrocute you when you cut it. We'll do this on Friday morning, right before Gristle and his dad go on that weekend trip to visit some family. By the time they get back, the tank will be so cold that Gristle will have to replace the heater. When he does, he's going to take us out of the tank and put us into a wire cage, which is easier to break out of. We'll sneak out of the cage, go out the window, jump onto a passing horse carriage, and hitch a ride on the horse all the way back to the forest! It's foolproof!"

"It _is_ a great plan." Satin admitted.

"With one exception." Chenille added. "Poppy."

"What about me?" Poppy asked.

"Well, no offense, but you're not very fast on those crutches." Guy Diamond said.

"Nonsense." Branch scoffed. "She can do it. We'll take the next couple days to teach her how to use her hair, too. She's small enough to fit in the hole, and she can carry the saw easily. Plus, she can climb onto her crutches to better reach the cord. What do you say, Princess? You up for it?"

Poppy didn't fully understand the danger, but she didn't care. This was her chance to go home. "Let's do it!"

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, in a couple chapters, we're going to see how that won't work the first time. But does it make sense? Any other loopholes in the plan will be explained later.**

 **Fun fact: the '114' in the address from the thermos is a reference to the day** _ **Trolls**_ **was released in theaters in the United States: 11/4, November 4.**


	7. Tarantapuff Trouble

**A/N: This here was a tricky scene for me to write, but I think I finally got it. Enjoy!**

 **LB the bookworm – That song was my own creation, based off a couple other songs I heard recently. More on that will be seen in another chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven – Tarantapuff Trouble**

Over the next couple days, Peppy and Rosiepuff wandered the forest, trying to find someone who could tell them where "Gristle Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue, Bergen Town" was. For the longest time, they didn't see anyone. When they did find a creature who didn't want to eat them, they couldn't say where Bergen Town was. It seemed that nobody knew of such a place. Then again, most forest creatures tended to stay away from anything bergen-related.

Peppy knew at once that Rosiepuff read off the address of the home to the bergen who took his daughter. Even if he had to travel to the ends of the earth, he would find her and bring her home and wrap her in the biggest hug. Peppy did remember those hurtful things they said to one another, and the fact that Poppy said she hated him. But he wouldn't let an argument be the last thing that happened between them. Peppy would give his own life to save his daughter. Before he died, he would make sure she knew how much he loved her.

However, if there was one thing that really started to get on Peppy's nerves, it was Rosiepuff. At first, he was happy to have some company on this otherwise lonely trip. After all, she was the one who read the thermos and gave Peppy his clue to finding his daughter. Maybe she would be useful in Bergen Town, too.

But as they traveled for the next two days, Rosiepuff's antics began to chip away at Peppy's patience. She would ramble on for an hour, mostly just talking to herself and repeating "Gristle. Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue, Bergen Town" so much that Peppy now had it committed to memory. He supposed it was exciting for someone with short-term memory loss to remember something at last, but hearing the same thing over and over again got annoying really fast. Not only that, Rosiepuff would sometimes break out into random bouts of singing and humming. Now, trolls loved to sing; but Peppy was so stressed and worried about his daughter that he couldn't even think about humming a tune. Even worse was when Rosiepuff would get herself into trouble—sticking her head into the small caves of dangerous creatures, getting tangled in brambles, and almost eating poisonous berries, to name a few things—and Peppy would have to save her. By then, he considered himself even with Rosiepuff after she saved his life. It was like looking after a rambunctious toddler. Peppy felt sorry for Rosiepuff before. Now that he spent three days with the woman, he began to think she brought this loneliness on herself.

 _Now I see why her family isn't around._ Peppy sighed as he listened to Rosiepuff repeat the address over and over again. _They must've turned tail and run as soon as they had the chance._ Peppy noticed lights ahead, and he saw a group of fireflies flitting about the area. He jogged up to them. "Excuse me? Hi there! I was wondering if—" Suddenly, the fireflies flew away. Peppy chased after them. "Whoa, wait a minute! I just have to ask if you've…." Too late. The bugs were gone. Peppy sighed heavily. He inhaled slowly to calm himself when he heard Rosiepuff catching up.

"Hey, what's up?" Rosiepuff asked.

"Well, I was just thinking…" Peppy chose his words carefully. He wanted Rosiepuff gone, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. "See, I think that this searching isn't working with us searching together. I know many hands make light work, but that's clearly not the case here. So I'm thinking we should go our separate ways. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang out with me, right?"

Rosiepuff blinked, and then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I do. Maybe we _should_ split up. I mean, uh, you know…go away…from each other…"

Peppy sighed in relief. "Yeah, great. I just think that I can find my daughter just fine on my own. And you surely have places to be."

"Yes, of course." Rosiepuff said. "It's been fun and all, but…..you know…"

Peppy got a little worried. "I mean, it's not because I don't like you, but I don't think I need you here with me."

"Right." Rosiepuff blinked again. "Wait, _do_ you not like me?"

"No! I mean yes. Uh, no?" Peppy cleared his throat. "I just…I don't want to be with you because I like you. It's a very…..complicated emotion."

Rosiepuff frowned a little. "Yeah….complicated…"

Peppy groaned. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out right."

"No, it's okay." Rosiepuff shrugged with a weak smile. "No one really likes me. That much I _do_ remember."

Okay, _now_ Peppy felt really guilty. "No, Rosiepuff, I just—"

"Hey you!" the fireflies had returned, and now hovered above the two trolls. One of them flew up to the trolls. "Miss, is this guy bothering you?"

"No. I don't think so." Rosiepuff looked to Peppy. "Were you?"

"No! Of course not!" Peppy chuckled. "But while I have your guys' attention, do you know where—" He jumped back when the lead firefly got in his face.

"We ain't talking to you, bud! We're talking to the lady!" the firefly flew over to Rosiepuff with a smile. "Do you like impressions?"

Rosiepuff blinked a few times in confusion. "Um…sure….."

"Okay boys! Just like we practiced!" the firefly rejoined his flock, and the fireflies moved to form a shape that looked like a tall spider. "What are we?"

"Oh! I've seen one of those." Rosiepuff thought carefully.

"We're a type of spider…" the lead firefly guided.

"It's a tarantapuff!" Peppy snapped.

"Hey! Let the lady guess!" the lead firefly snapped. The fireflies moved again to form a round creature with large legs and buggy eyes.

"Wait, don't tell me." Rosiepuff tapped her foot.

Peppy fake-coughed out, "Hill monster."

"Saw that!" the lead firefly said. Peppy shrugged innocently. The fireflies moved again, taking the shape of a crocodile. "Mouth full of teeth!"

"Snake!" Rosiepuff immediately hit herself for misspeaking.

"Close enough!" the lead firefly laughed. The fireflies morphed into a couple trolls doing a tango, humming along a song to go with it.

"Wow. They're good." Rosiepuff mused.

Finally losing his temper, Peppy shouted, "Would someone please just help me?!"

The fireflies changed their shape until they looked like Peppy. "Would someone please just help me?" the lead firefly mocked. The other fireflies and Rosiepuff laughed.

Peppy fumed. "Look, you little—"

"Blah blah blah!" the lead firefly mocked, blowing a raspberry.

Peppy sighed curtly. "Fine." He turned and marched off, his cane stabbing into the ground.

"Hey!" Rosiepuff jogged after him and stopped Peppy. "Hey sourpuss, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Peppy repeated. "I guess you wouldn't understand, given your condition, so I'll explain it slowly. You and those morons are having fun with your silly games, yes? Sure, whatever. Meanwhile, I am miles away from home with a troll who barely remembers her own name and probably doesn't even know why she's out here!"

"That must be frustrating." Rosiepuff said with a smirk.

"And right now, my daughter is out there, somewhere." Peppy said.

"Daffodil, right?"

"Poppy."

"I knew that."

"And I want to find her more than anything, but no one in this entire forest is going to help me!"

Rosiepuff smiled. " _I'm_ helping you, aren't I?" Peppy didn't answer. Rosiepuff didn't drop her smile as she walked back to the fireflies. "Excuse me, fellas!"

"Is he bothering you again? Do we need to beat him up?" the lead firefly asked.

"No, of course not!" Rosiepuff laughed. "He's fine, just a little stressed. He recently lost his daughter, Sunflower. I don't suppose you guys know where we can find 'Gristle Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue, Bergen Town'?"

"Bergen Town? Sure!" the fireflies changed to form a big sign that said "Bergen Town." "Todd and Chad have relatives down there, don't you guys?"

"Sure do!" Two fireflies piped up.

"Hey! They know where Bergen Town is!" Rosiepuff called to Peppy, who hurried over. "So can you tell us where to go? We've been traveling quite a long way."

"I'm afraid you've been going in the opposite direction." The lead firefly said. "You're a long way from Bergen Town."

"Great." Peppy groaned.

"But the good news is there's a quick and easy way to get there!" the lead firefly announced. The fireflies formed a map with a pathway. "You want to take the Hyacinth Highway. It's a major traveling path that all the animals take to get long distances. Nice, big path next to a river and lined with hyacinths. Can't miss it." The fireflies made an arrow and pointed in one direction. "It's that way. You're just going to follow that for about…uh, what? Like a hundred miles or so?" The other fireflies agreed. "It's going to take a couple days, but that little baby will take you right by Bergen Town."

"That's great! Thank you!" Peppy sighed in relief. "Thank you guys so much! Come on, Rosiepuff!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Rosiepuff laughed, following Peppy. "Thanks again, guys!"

"Oh, Miss, one more thing." The fireflies created a path that split into two directions. "When you get to the fork in the road, go down the darker path. It's longer, but safer."

"Darker path at the fork in the road." Rosiepuff repeated. "Got it! Thanks!" She ran to catch up with Peppy. The two trolls ran through the forest. Peppy was happier than he felt in days. Finally, he was on the right track to finding his daughter.

When they came to a fork in the path, though, the trolls stopped abruptly. To their left was a dark path with several dead trees and creepy-looking plants. To the right was a brightly lit path with round, colorful flowers that looked like giant clovers.

"Well, let's go." Peppy said. He and Rosiepuff started walking, but he stopped. "Wait, where are you going?"

"We have to go this way." Rosiepuff said, gesturing to the dark path.

"Not a chance." Peppy said. "We're taking the lighter path."

"But those fireflies said to go down the dark path." Rosiepuff said. "I remember: they said it was longer, but safer."

"I doubt you remember anything from ten seconds ago." Peppy said. "Are you even looking at that path? We won't last two minutes in that death trap."

"I really think we need to go this way." Rosiepuff insisted.

"And I really think this conversation is over." Peppy countered.

"Come on, just trust me." Rosiepuff said.

Peppy raised an eyebrow. "Trust you?"

"Yeah. You know, trust?" Rosiepuff said. "It's that thing that friends do."

Peppy wouldn't say it out loud this time, but he didn't really consider Rosiepuff a friend. He looked past her. "Hey look! What's that?"

Rosiepuff spun around. "What?"

"Oh! It went that way!" Peppy pointed down the brighter path. "Come on!" He ran towards the bright path.

"But wait! I think we….." Rosiepuff glanced down the darker path. "Hey, wait for me!" She ran after Peppy.

The brighter path did seem safer. Everything was lit and the two trolls could see where they were going. There didn't seem to be anyplace for anything to hide. Soon, they came to a hill and looked down.

"Look! There's the Highway." Peppy pointed to a path next to a river a short distance away.

Rosiepuff heard a hiss, and she turned to see a teeny-tiny spider sitting on a rock next to her. "Well, hello there."

"See? This is why we listen to me and _not_ go down the long, dark path." Peppy said proudly.

"Are you lost, little fella?" Rosiepuff asked. "Where's your mama?" She tried holding out her hand to the spider, but the arachnid bit her. "Ouch! Geez, I was just trying to help!"

Peppy turned and gasped. "Rose, that's a tarantapuff!"

"Bad tarantapuff!" Rosiepuff scolded.

Peppy ran over and swung his cane, knocking the spider away and into the bushes. "Here, let me see."

"I'm fine." Rosiepuff said.

"Just let me see." Peppy looked over her bite. "Okay. Not too bad. That's okay. The good news is tarantapuff bites aren't poisonous. It's the webs we have to worry about. Let's just be thankful it was a baby, this time." The two continued on, sliding down the hill and going through the bushes at the bottom. Upon emerging on the other side, the two trolls gasped.

"Peppy…" Rosiepuff gulped.

"We're in Tarantapuff Territory." Peppy realized.

There were spiderwebs all around them. In fact, there was one in the bushes right above them, and a tarantapuff snarled at them. The two trolls ran for it, ducking under and weaving through webs and other spiders. They managed to hide, waiting for the spiders to move on.

"I just remembered that I don't like spiders. What do we do?" Rosiepuff asked.

"I don't know." Peppy said. "This is so bad. I don't know if there are many places for us to hide, and we can't touch the webs or it will let them know where we are."

"Well, let's try this way." Rosiepuff tried going through some taller grass, but she suddenly shouted in surprise.

"Rosiepuff!" Peppy pushed the grass aside just in time to see Rosiepuff pop up in front of him. She fell down again, landing on top of a mushroom which bounced her back up.

"Try it! It's fun!" Rosiepuff laughed.

Peppy stared at the mushroom. In fact, there were lots of them going right through Tarantapuff Territory. "Those are Trampoline Mushrooms. Of course! Hey, Rosiepuff! I have an idea. We're going to play a little game."

"Now you're talking!" Rosiepuff cheered. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to play Let's-See-Who-Can-Hop-Out-of-Tarantapuff-Territory-the-Fastest." Peppy said. "Very simple rules: you can only touch the Trampoline Mushrooms, don't touch the spiderwebs, and don't get caught by a tarantapuff. Okay?"

"Yep! Ready, go!" Rosiepuff bounced away.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Peppy jumped down and ricocheted off the mushroom to follow her. The trolls bounced off the mushrooms, practically flying through Tarantapuff Territory. They successfully dodged spiderwebs and the few tarantapuffs they passed. Most of the other spiders didn't come down fast enough to catch them. Rosiepuff laughed and whooped, having a great time. Peppy was still quite anxious.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Rosiepuff called. "You're about to get beat by an old lady!"

"Coming!" Peppy gulped. "Okay. I can do this. We're just having some fun and trying to not die. I'll be okay. I just need to focus."

"Yeah, focus or I'll make you eat my dust!" Rosiepuff goaded.

Peppy smiled genuinely this time. "Oh I don't think so!"

The two of them continued their bouncing, often landing on the same mushroom and bouncing even higher. They didn't see any more tarantapuffs, but there were still plenty of poisonous webs to avoid. But, for once, Peppy was actually having fun. He forgot his worries and simply focused on playing this impromptu game.

"Give it up, pal!" Rosiepuff laughed. "There's still some spring left in these old bones!"

"Oh, you want to see a spring? Watch me fly!" Peppy landed perfectly on another mushroom, flying clear over a spiderweb and ricocheting off more mushrooms as he disappeared.

Rosiepuff laughed. "Don't get too cocky! I'm still right behind you!" She tried to bounce after him, but she shouted in surprise when a tarantapuff popped out from hiding and stepped in her path. She whipped her hair across its face and landed safely on the ground. She dusted off her skirt, not seeing another tarantapuff sneaking up behind her.

Meanwhile, Peppy didn't hear Rosiepuff's shout as he continued to bounce, right out of Tarantapuff Territory and to safety. The Hyacinth Highway was just ahead. Peppy cheered. "Yes! One point for the father!" He jumped happily, a wide smile on his face. "Look at that, Rosiepuff! We did it!" Peppy turned, but he didn't see Rosiepuff beside him like he expected. He looked to the wall of spiderwebs that marked off Tarantapuff Territory. "Rosiepuff?"

After a tense moment, Peppy heard Rosiepuff's scream echo from Tarantapuff Territory.

"Oh no." Peppy sprinted back into the spider-infested land. He decided to forgo the Trampoline Mushrooms and simply run, scanning the area for a familiar green-haired troll. "Rosiepuff! Rose! Where are you? Answer me, please!" He heard nothing, though, and grew more frantic by the second. What could've happened to her? When did he lose track of her? Peppy thought she was right behind him. He jumped over rocks and scooted around webs. When he looked up, he gasped.

Rosiepuff was unconscious, bound in webbing and stuck to one of the spiderwebs. One of the tarantapuffs scuttled towards her, ready to eat.

"Hey!" Peppy grabbed a thorn off a nearby flower and used his hair to pull him towards the spider. He swung his cane and knocked the spider away, and then used his hair to push the spider right off its web. Peppy hesitated, and then climbed onto the poisoned webs to reach Rosiepuff. If he stayed on the webbing too long, he wouldn't survive to help her. He cut the webbing away and used his hair to lower them both down to solid ground. Peppy gasped at the sight of a nasty spider bite on Rosiepuff's shoulder, courtesy of one of the tarantapuffs.

Rosiepuff moaned a little, opening her eyes only halfway. She looked loopy from the poison. "Am I disqualified?"

"No, not at all!" Peppy said, desperate to keep her awake. "But you have to stay awake if you want to win! Come on, stand up." But Rosiepuff was too weak, so Peppy draped one of her arms around his shoulders and hoisted her to her feet, letting the injured troll lean on him for support. Rosiepuff's head lolled, and her eyes shut. "No, no! Stay awake, Rose, please." Peppy scrambled for an idea, anything to keep Rosiepuff from falling asleep and dying. "Where does Gristle Sr. live?"

That jolted her awake a little. "Gristle…...Senior…Glitter Avenue….Bergen Town…"

"Good. Keep repeating that." Peppy said as he pulled her along. "Wouldn't want me to forget that, would you?" He looked up and saw more tarantapuffs heading for them. Now that one of them was injured, it would make killing and eating them so much easier. Peppy used his hair like a whip to keep the spiders away. When one got too close, he'd smack it with his cane. All the while, he kept pulling Rosiepuff along as fast as he could while she muttered Gristle Sr.'s address over and over again.

It only got worse when the tarantapuffs began shooting their webs at the trolls. Peppy couldn't stop the webs. He just made sure none of them got in his eyes. Soon, he could see the exit, and a clear shot to the Hyacinth Highway. Still, the tarantapuffs relentlessly pursued and attacked them.

Rosiepuff grew limper, and Peppy readjusted his grip on her. "Stay awake. Stay awake." He was almost there. The exit was blocked by just a bit more webbing. So delirious from the poison and the adrenaline in his system, Peppy decided he had nothing to lose and plowed right through the webbing. The tarantapuffs tried to follow.

But before they could, the bellow of a loud, large creature made them freeze and then scurry away in fear. Peppy pulled Rosiepuff as far as he could before his legs gave out and they both collapsed. Peppy panted, his vision blurry and his muscles shaking. He looked to Rosiepuff weakly shaking her.

"Rosiepuff…..Rose, wake up!" Peppy pleaded. "Come on….please wake up…stay awake…" His own strength failed, and Peppy fell fully to the ground. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, and he saw several shadows approaching them.

Then, it all went dark.


	8. Failed Escape

**A/N: I know you have waited patiently, so here it is! Branch's past!**

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 **Chapter Eight – Failed Escape**

In the time between her initiation and the day of the plan, Poppy received training from the other tank members on how to use her hair and use her crutches to her advantage. Though none of them had disabilities like hers (except for Branch), they had unique skills that helped her overcome obstacles formerly impossible due to her amputated leg.

First off, Satin and Chenille crafted a boot of sorts that was padded on the inside and hard like a turtle shell on the outside. They fashioned a round disc made of similar materials to create a kneepad for Poppy's other leg. This way, if Poppy didn't have her crutches, she could walk on her knee and leg stump without being hurt. The rest of the Tank Trolls taught Poppy how to better use her hair: stretching, grabbing, whipping, and more. Fuzzbert, being entirely hair, was especially helpful. The one troll who was most helpful was Branch. Being crippled himself, he took Poppy under his wing and taught her how to adapt to missing half her limb. Poppy learned more in two days with Branch than she did in ten years with her father.

While learning new things was fun, Poppy did spend a lot of time thinking about and missing her father. She would stare out the window quietly, wishing she were home. Above all else, she wished she hadn't said such hurtful things to her father. Poppy didn't know why she said those things. In that moment, she wanted to be as far away from her father as possible.

Now that she had her wish, she realized how true regret felt. As Poppy sat on a rock and stared out the window one night, she wondered if her father stared at the same stars she saw.

Poppy heard footsteps, and she saw Branch approaching her. He nodded to the spot next to Poppy, requesting to join her. Poppy scooted over, and Branch sat next to the pink troll.

"Miss your dad, huh?" Branch guessed. Poppy just nodded. "Consider yourself lucky. You've got someone out there looking for you."

Poppy sighed. "My dad's not looking for me. He's scared of the forest. Too scared to come find me."

Branch patted Poppy's shoulder. "I doubt that."

Poppy sniffled, tears coming to her eyes. "I told him I hated him. I didn't mean it. But why would he come after a daughter who said she hated him?"

Branch gently brushed her tears away. "Sometimes, we say things because we're mad. But I'm sure your dad knows you don't hate him."

Though rough on the outside, Branch was truly a troll who cared, and Poppy appreciated that. "So, what about Creek and Smidge and everyone else? Do they have a family looking for them?"

"Nah." Branch said. "The only family any of us have is right in here. We have Gristle Jr. to thank for that. He saved all of us. It's a nice place to stay and all, but we belong in the forest. That's why we're trying to escape. I hope Gris doesn't take it too hard."

Poppy liked Gristle Jr. too, especially when she realized his and his father's good intentions by bringing her to the pet shop. "So how did Gristle find everyone?"

"Everyone has their own story about how Gristle saved them." Branch said. "Creek, Satin, and Chenille are brother and sisters, and lived with their family in the streets. Their parents were killed getting run over by a carriage. They spent a couple years barely surviving before Gris found them. He gave them a home and new names: Zen, Twin 1, and Twin 2." Branch chuckled when Poppy giggled. "Yeah, we respond to Gristle's names, but we like our original ones better. Fuzzbert came from a pretty bad place. It was a rundown old pet shop where the owner smoked a lot. That's why Fuzzbert talks like he does. His lungs are damaged from the smoke. That shop soon went out of business, and Gris bought Fuzzbert to nurse him back to health. Gris calls Fuzzbert 'Tuffy.'

"Biggie's story is an interesting one. He lived in a small zoo that was overcrowded. I'm glad standards and rules have changed in recent years regarding pet shops and zoos. Anyway, it was so crowded that Biggie and some other troll kids lived in the glowworm habitat. The glowworms were nice, at least. They adopted those kids. Mr. Dinkles is more like a brother to Biggie than a pet. One day, the zoo caught fire. A lot of the animals were killed. Biggie barely made it out with Mr. Dinkles. The rest of the trolls were killed. Gristle Sr. took the remaining animals. A few had to be euthanized. Some could be released. The rest were taken to a nicer zoo. But nobody wanted Biggie and Mr. Dinkles. So Gristle Jr. named them Big Ben and Little John, and he brought them home.

"Then came Suki. She was a pet in a classroom, and a couple kids took her out of her cage and tried to play with her. Threw her in deep water, tossed her in a box and shook her, and even hung her on a string and used her as a cat toy. She managed to escape and hid in Gristle's backpack. He gave her a safe home and started calling her DJ. That's the closest he's ever gotten to one of our names. After Suki was Guy Diamond. He was part of a little circus. Gristle bought him for cheap because the circus owner didn't want him anymore. Gris called Guy 'Sparkler.'

"Finally, we got Smidge. She was born in an illegal breeding facility, where animals and creatures like trolls are forced to breed so their offspring can be sold as pets. Her parents died from the poor living conditions. The breeder considered her a runt and got rid of her. Gristle Sr. found her and helped get the breeder shut down. The trolls were released or set up in a good-quality zoo. Gristle Sr. gave Smidge to his son, and Gris called her 'Tiny But Mighty.' We all went through hard lives before we were brought here. But Gris and his dad gave us a good home. He loves us so much that he can't bear to part with us, even if he knows being free might be what's best for us."

Poppy nodded slowly. "And what about you? How and when did you get here?"

Branch rubbed his scarred arm. "I was one of the first. I'm from the forest, like you. Gris calls me 'Ash.'"

"Did you have a family?" Poppy asked.

"Just my grandma." Branch said. "She's the only one I really remember. We were just out in the forest one day, and a bergen kid came stomping through, knocking down bird nests and trampling stuff. He caught me in a glass jar, and Grandma tried to save me. But the bergen threw a rock at her, and it…" Branch swallowed, his eyes becoming glassy. Poppy gave his hand a comforting squeeze. Branch cleared his throat. "She didn't move. I knew she was gone. That's when I turned grey. The bergen kid who took me used me as a toy, and didn't take good care of me. Gristle Jr. saved me after that kid buried me in some snow and left me there."

Poppy hugged Branch comfortingly. The two of them were quiet for a long moment. "Even if my dad isn't looking for me, do you think he's still alive?"

"Of course." Branch nodded. "Gristle Sr. and his son would never harm another creature." He hugged Poppy one more time. "You should get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

Poppy nodded, following Branch through the tank. Tomorrow, they would put their plan into action, and hopefully take their first step closer to freedom. Poppy let Branch help her into her hammock, and she settled down to sleep.

"Branch?"

"Hmm?"

"I know you said you would take care of the Tank Trolls after you escape; but, if you want, you can come live with me. You can make a home in the same tree where I live. You'll be happy there."

Branch smiled gently. "Thank you, Poppy. You're very kind. Now get some sleep."

Poppy yawned. "Goodnight, Branch."

"Goodnight, Princess."

* * *

The next day was Friday. Gristle Sr. closed the shop for the day. Around lunchtime, he would take his son to Bridget's party at the pizza place down the road. Then the two of them would be off to see some friends in another town, and wouldn't be back until Sunday afternoon. By then, the effects of the broken heater would be clearly seen.

Poppy and Branch sat on a rock near the glass wall facing the window. Branch ran through the plan again while the rest of the Tank Trolls waited for the moment to begin their plan. That moment would be when Gristle Sr. disappeared into his office to do paperwork while Gristle Jr. took the watchdog Lucifer for a walk.

"Why don't we just push the tank over while Gris and his dad are gone?" Poppy wondered. "Or we could just go through the hole and out the window."

"Well, the tank is actually screwed to the counter, specifically so we can't push it off or so it won't get knocked off the counter." Branch explained. "And Gristle Sr. is pretty good at locking up everything. Even if we could reach it, the latches are rusted and get stuck easily."

Poppy nodded in understanding. "I won't let you down."

Branch looked to Creek as he passed them. "Any movement?"

"No, but Lucifer is getting excited." Creek said. "It has to be soon."

"Good. Keep monitoring the shop." Branch said as Creek jogged off.

Poppy glanced to Branch, her eyes lingering on his scars. They just looked like jagged lines darker than Branch's skin color. She could only imagine how painful they must've been. Though she wanted to ask how Branch got hurt, she never had the courage to do it.

Branch noticed Poppy's staring, and she quickly averted her gaze. "It's okay. Go ahead and stare. I have to live with it." He rubbed his limp arm. "These are my reminder to never give up on trying to get everyone out of here. These are my motivation." He paused, briefly contemplating whether or not he'd say this next part. "This is what happens to Chef gets her hands on you."

Poppy stared at Branch in shock. "You lived with her?"

"She had convinced Gristle Sr. to sell me to her while Junior was at summer camp." Branch said. "I think he thought Gris wanted to sell me to a new home. There have been other trolls before and after me who were taken. The last gal who was taken—a troll named Willow—only lasted a few hours when she was returned. She died quickly from her experience. I'm the only troll who has come back and survived. Chef saw me as a sort of mutation because I was grey instead of colorful. When she realized there was nothing really special about me, she called me an 'imperfect specimen' and just flat-out tortured me. She cut up my face and body, and then did this." Branch moved his arm and vest, and Poppy gasped quietly. Apparently, Chef had taken a knife and carved the word "Freak" into Branch's chest. Branch pointed to a dot below the word. "She would electrocute me by inserting a needle here. She did it until I passed out and couldn't take it anymore. That's why I can't use this arm. I can twitch a finger and hold light things now and then, but my nerves and muscles are shot."

Poppy looked down sadly. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Branch said. "It was the Tank Trolls who kept me going. I fought to live, and I became stronger. I know I'll be able to take care of them once we escape." Branch pointed to a moose passing outside. "See those animals? The moose and the horses and especially the cows. They get to go out and graze in the land near Bergen Town. Riding one of those is a one-way ticket straight back to the forest. I promise, Princess, we're getting out of here."

Poppy finally smiled and hugged Branch. Though Branch was not as touchy-feely as the other trolls, he didn't mind hugging Poppy.

"Code Glitter! Code Glitter!" Guy Diamond called, drawing everyone to the tank wall facing the interior of the shop.

"Gristle Sr. left for paperwork two minutes ago!" Suki reported. "Gristle Jr. and Lucifer have left the building! We official have fifteen-point-six minutes!"

"That's our cue, Princess!" Branch said. "Ready?"

"I'm ready!" Poppy nodded.

The Tank Trolls gathered around the hole to wish Poppy good luck. While some looked anxious, they still had faith in Poppy's abilities. Poppy carefully carried the cutting saw Branch gave her in her teeth, and she lowered herself down into the hole by wrapping her hair around Branch's hand. Once she stood on solid ground, Poppy hobbled her way to the cabinet door. She pushed it open with all her strength, giving herself just enough space to stretch out her hair to grab the handle of the other cabinet door. She swung herself out, and the cabinet door snapped shut behind her.

"That's okay!" Branch's muffled voice came from the tank, sitting above her. "We'll let you back in. Now swing yourself onto that stack of litterboxes, and you'll be able to climb up to the counter easily."

Poppy began swinging, giving herself as much momentum as she could muster, and then launched herself in the air. Her heart shot into her throat as she hung in the air for a moment. She landed on the top litterbox and panted softly.

"Branch, is this such a good idea?" Biggie asked.

"Yes, she'll be fine." Branch assured.

After catching her breath, Poppy used one of her crutches like a sort of ladder and climbed up to the counter. She pulled the crutch up with her and hobbled over to the cord. There was a small ledge of sorts just below the outlet. Poppy used her crutch like a ladder again, and she climbed up to this ledge. She had to press her back to the wall, but she could reach the cord at last. She gripped the rubber handle of the saw and stretched her arm as far as she could to reach the cord. She began cutting.

"She's doing it!" Satin breathed.

"She's really doing it!" Chenille cheered.

"That's it, Princess." Branch smiled broadly. "You almost got it."

Then, to the Tank Trolls' horror, the bell at the front of the shop rung to indicate someone coming through the door. "Hey Dad!" Gristle Jr. called. "Where do we keep the pooper-scooper bags?"

"Abort, Princess!" Smidge shouted. "Abort!"

Too late. Lucifer noticed Poppy on the counter, and her instincts kicked in. She barked and galloped right towards Poppy. She went so fast that she jerked her leash free from Gristle Jr.'s grip.

"Lucifer! Lucy!" Gristle Jr. yelped, shutting the pet shop door. "Bad dog!"

"Run, Poppy!" Creek shouted.

Poppy dropped the saw Branch gave her and hobbled away as fast as she could. But Lucifer jumped up on the counter and knocked Poppy to the floor.

"Princess!" the Tank Trolls shouted in fear.

"All of you, stay here!" Branch ordered. He slipped out through the hole and burst out of the cabinet, running for Poppy. The pink troll scrambled to get away from Lucifer, but the watchdog only stopped when Branch jumped up and grabbed her tail. Lucifer twisted around, snapping at the troll on her tail, while Poppy made another mad dash away from the dog. Lucifer flicked her tail and sent Branch flying. He hit a shelf and just managed to catch the edge before he fell off. Lucifer went back to chasing Poppy around the store while Gristle Jr. chased Lucifer. Gristle Sr.'s heavy footsteps sounded from the stairs in the back, indicating he was running down to investigate the chaos. Branch looked around and saw a couple potted plants Gristle Sr. sold for the terrariums. When Lucifer came by again, Branch pushed over a pot and it landed right on the watchdog's head.

Finally, Gristle Jr. caught Lucifer and pulled her into her kennel in the corner. "Bad dog, Lucy! I told you to stop chasing the animals like that when they escape. You always make a mess what you do that."

Branch climbed/jumped to the floor. "Princess! Poppy, where are you?" He jumped when Poppy suddenly came up and tackled him in a hug. He wrapped his good arm around her and held her close. "It's okay. You're okay, I've got you."

"Gristle!" Gristle Sr. had arrived. "What on earth happened?"

"Pinkie and Ash somehow found their way out of the tank." Gristle Jr. said, gently scooping up the two aforementioned trolls. "Can you find the tools so I can fix the lid? Or at least find some rocks or something? I need to make sure Pinkie and Ash are all right."

"Of course." Gristle Sr. nodded. "When you're done, make sure you have all you need for the weekend. We'll leave for Bridget's party soon."

Gristle Jr. nodded. He brought Poppy and Branch to the counter by the front door, and he pulled out a first aid kit. Branch was unharmed, but Poppy had a cut on her arm from some broken glass. Gristle Jr. pulled out a magnifying glass to better see what he was doing, and he delicately cleaned and bandaged the wound. Branch let Gristle do his work, knowing the bergen teen could be trusted.

"There. All better." Gristle Jr. lifted up Poppy and Branch and brought them back to the tank. "Ash, take good care of her this weekend, okay? I promise I'll be back soon, you guys." He lowered Branch and Poppy into the tank, and then placed some rocks on top of the lid so it wouldn't move again.

The Tank Trolls gathered around worriedly, but Branch barked at them, "Get back! Let her breathe!" He knelt to Poppy's eye level. "Princess, are you okay?"

Poppy had put on a brave face until then. She burst into tears, hugging Branch and burying her face in his chest.

"No, no, no, it's okay." Branch shushed her comfortingly. He hugged her tightly, as though he were the anchor holding her to the ground. "It's okay. I've got you. You're all right. You're safe now, I've got you."

Several of the Tank Trolls looked like they could collapse from pure relief. That had been one of the scariest moment of their lives. "Branch." Creek said, struggling to hold back his own emotions. "Branch, please don't send her back out there."

It suddenly dawned on Branch the true weight of today's events. Because of his plan, because _he_ made Poppy go out there, they almost lost one of their family members. This was all his fault. He almost killed Poppy.

"No." Branch shook his head. "No, no, never again. We're done." He held Poppy a little tighter. "We're done."

Poppy sniffled and continued to sob fearfully, her tears making Branch's vest damp. The other Tank Trolls gathered around for a gentle group hug.


	9. Get Up

**A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this one! We're a little more than halfway done.**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine – Get Up**

Once he started to regain consciousness, Peppy became aware of two things:

One, he was riding something that had coarse hair.

Two, he felt like he would puke any moment now.

"Dude? Hey dude."

Who was talking to him? Peppy blearily blinked his eyes open and only saw a swirl of colors.

"What do you see, dude?" someone asked him.

"Uh…" Peppy blinked a few times. "The sky….and a pink walking stick that talks?"

The "pink walking stick" laughed. "Close!"

Peppy rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Once his vision cleared and he saw who talked to him, he realized he couldn't be sure if he was awake or dreaming. The creature before him looked like some sort of llama with pink fur and blue legs. But he had the facial structure of a troll, and he wore a green hat sitting on dreadlocks.

"Um…hi….." Peppy said tiredly.

"He lives!" the strange creature cheered. "We weren't sure you would ever wake up, dude!"

"Wake up?" Peppy asked. "What are you talking about? And what are you?"

"A llama-troll, my man!" the creature said. "And I'm talking about you! Taking on Tarantapuff Territory? Man, you got to be some kind of adrenaline junkie."

Peppy felt his stomach doing flip-flops. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Whoa, whoa! In the bucket, not on our ride!" the llama-troll thrust a metal bucket into Peppy's arms right before Peppy vomited his stomach contents, which was thankfully mostly just liquid and bile. "Yeah, the doc said that might happen once you woke up."

Peppy wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and handed the bucket back to the llama-troll. "What doc? Where am I, Mr. Llama—" He put a hand to his mouth when he felt more puking might be on the way. Luckily, he managed to swallow it back.

"Dude, Mr. Lamas was my father." The llama-troll said as he dumped the bucket of puke over the side of the moose he and Peppy rode.

"Hey! Watch it!" someone shouted from down below.

"Sorry!" the llama-troll called. He returned to Peppy. "My name's Cooper! What's your name? Or do I call you Lion Mane, wild dude?"

Peppy was still a little out of it, but he finally realized he was indeed riding on a moose with a llama-troll. "I'm Peppy. Nice to meet you, Cooper. I'm trying to find the Hyacinth Highway. You know where that is?"

Cooper laughed. "Dude, you're _riding_ it!"

Peppy blinked, and then climbed up to one of the antlers on the moose. His jaw dropped.

It was the Hyacinth Highway, just like the fireflies said. There were dozens of animals of all kinds, traveling by land and by water. Land creatures went along the pathway long since beaten into a road thanks to years of travel. Water animals swam in the river. Birds and insect flew overhead. Hyacinths truly did line the river's edge and the edge of the pathway.

Cooper came up to stand by Peppy. "Pretty, ain't it? Yeah, we were just walking down the Highway, minding our own business, when we saw you and your friend coming out of Tarantapuff Territory. My buddy here—" Cooper patted the moose they rode. "—and I came to help, along with my daughter, Harper. You should be fully cured of those nasty web poisons."

"Well, Rosiepuff and I are grateful you—" Peppy gasped. "Rosiepuff! Oh my gosh! Where is she?" But Peppy looked all around and didn't see Rosiepuff anywhere.

"You mean that lady troll who was with you?" Cooper asked.

"Yes! Is she all right?" Peppy asked worriedly.

"Man, she wasn't looking too good when we found you two." Cooper said. "Doc said she suffered a lot of blood loss and she was super poisoned and half-dead already. He also said a lot of things I didn't understand. All I really remember was that it was really tough getting any medicine into her. Not to mention she was bleeding all over the place."

Peppy glanced down to his vest, and he realized with horror it was still stained with Rosiepuff's blood. "Oh gods." He buried his face in his hands. "Oh gods, I killed her. I killed her!"

"Whoa, calm down there, Spider Dude." Cooper said.

"But I killed her!" Peppy protested, moaning in despair. "What have I done? I thought I managed to get her out of there but all I did was—"

" _Peppy!"_

Peppy grunted in pain and surprise when someone body-slammed him. He and his tackler landed on the back of the moose, and Peppy felt like another snake constricted him.

"Oh I'm so happy you're okay!" Rosiepuff said, giving Peppy her tightest hug.

"Choking!" Peppy gasped. "Not breathing!"

"I was so worried about you! But you're okay!" Rosiepuff gasped and suddenly began looking Peppy over like a fussing mother. "You _are_ okay, right? You're not hurt at all? Let me see your teeth!"

"Rosiepuff, you're squishing my face." Peppy's voice sounded weird from Rosiepuff grabbing him by the cheeks.

"Sorry." Rosiepuff said, pulling her hands away. "But I'm just so glad you're unhurt!"

"Me? What about you?" Peppy asked, remembering Rosiepuff got the worst of Tarantapuff Territory.

"Oh, I'm fine!" Rosiepuff assured. "Don't get me wrong, I was loopy for a while there and unconscious for a lot of it, but I'm right as rain now." She noticed Peppy staring at something, and she glanced to her shoulder and arm which were now covered in bandages. "Oh, right. Did you know that tarantapuff bites aren't venomous, but they hurt like the dickens?"

Peppy hadn't stopped staring at the bandages wrapped around the spider bite wound. Rosiepuff's dress and coat were still stained with blood. He surprised Rosiepuff when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her neck in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. This was all my fault."

"Hey, it's all right." Rosiepuff assured. "Besides, it's not like I remember much of anything that happened yesterday."

Peppy still felt guilty. He wasn't sure if Rosiepuff had been right, and that dark path was the safer option. But he should've done a better job looking after her. "This shouldn't have happened, Rosiepuff, and I do apologize."

"Look on the bright side." Rosiepuff said reassuringly. "We made it to the Hyacinth Highway."

"We'll get you where you need to go!" Cooper assured. "No worries!"

Rosiepuff noticed the sad look on Peppy's face. She smiled comfortingly. "Come on! The children and I are playing hide-and-seek! Come play with us!" She didn't really give Peppy a choice as she pulled him along. Peppy didn't mind too much. He wanted to make sure Rosiepuff didn't strain herself after just getting patched up. He stuck close by her as they met up with the children, who rode on another moose just behind the one Cooper rode. Rosiepuff either didn't mind or simply put up with him worrying, to ease his fears. Harper seemed to be the unofficial leader of the children. Though Cooper's daughter, she was actually a normal rainbow troll. She had light blue skin and dark blue hair, though her skin and hair were so splotched with paint that it was hard to determine her true colors.

Steadily, Peppy did relax and let himself have fun. While the seeker would count on the moose, the other children, Rosiepuff, and Peppy would hide on the animals nearby so nobody got left behind. Peppy had never seen so many animals congregating at the same place. To his immense surprise, he saw some predators there, too. As Harper explained, the law of the forest dictated that hunting was forbidden on the Hyacinth Highway. Predators and prey did not interact very often, but the Highway was used so often that sometimes a crocodile would bump into a deer and simply say "Excuse me" while continuing on their way.

The playing hide-and-seek became boring by lunchtime. So, after eating, the kids moved to the moose Cooper rode and began swinging on the moose's antlers by their hair.

"They're so darling." Rosiepuff sighed blissfully, watching the children laugh and play.

"Yeah." Peppy agreed. He couldn't help but think of Poppy, and it made him a little sad. Suddenly, Harper lost her grip, and she ended up falling in the water of the river. Peppy gasped. "Oh my goodness!"

"Whoa, easy there!" Cooper held Peppy back. "She's fine."

"Fine? She just fell into the river!" Peppy protested.

"Well, let's see how she does on her own." Cooper suggested.

As everyone watched, Harper's head popped up from the water. She swam with all her strength, and then wrung out her hair enough to stretch it out and grab the edge of a turtle's shell. She pulled herself from the water, and then bounced off a Trampoline Mushroom and landed on the moose's flank. She climbed up to the back of the moose.

"I did it! Did you see me, Dad? Did you see what I did?" Harper cheered.

"You rock, little dude!" Cooper hugged the child.

Peppy sighed in relief. "I'm glad that didn't end badly."

"Oh, I've been through worse." Harper said. "My dad and I have been traveling the Hyacinth Highway for years!"

"Really?" Rosiepuff asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we don't have one home we stick to." Cooper said. "We just travel the Highway, exploring everywhere we can. It's a great learning experience for Harper."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Peppy asked.

"We get up and try again!" Harper said.

Rosiepuff elbowed Peppy. "Hey, does that sound familiar?"

Peppy looked down. "It's not easy to get up after you get knocked down."

"Maybe not." Rosiepuff shrugged. "But…"

 _Oh here we go._ Peppy knew what was coming. Sure enough, Rosiepuff started singing.

 _Maybe the road ahead looks dark and scary  
Keep going on, though you are wary  
No road in life is ever that smooth  
Besides, what's life without a little groove?_

Cooper joined in, just as sprightly and bouncy as Peppy's traveling partner.

 _You can't stay inside and live in fear  
Not when all your friends are near  
Life is a piano, its keys are black and white  
Even in darkness, I know it'll be all right_

Harper sang the next line, leading the chorus where they all sang together. A smile tugged at Peppy's lips.

 _Sometimes life will knock you down  
But you can't give up right now_

 _You've got to  
Get up, get up  
Try it again!  
Don't stop, don't stop  
Finish what you begin!  
Push on, pull through  
Over every hurdle  
Don't let anything get in your way!  
Just get up!_

It didn't take long for the rest of the children to join the song, and even a couple other forest creatures traveling the Highway hummed along and created a beat with their walking. Rosiepuff stayed by Peppy's side, trying to coax him into the song.

 _Sometimes the world seems dark and grey  
You just have to kick the clouds away  
Let the sun shine through and dance in the light  
No fear can stop your will to fight_

Cooper proved himself to be quite the dancer. It was like his legs were made of rubber, and he could twist and move his body in ways no one expected.

 _Don't stay locked up in your shell  
Come on out, see all is well  
If you get yourself in trouble, no need to fear  
Make a friend or two, and they'll be right here_

 _If you let the world fill you with doubt  
You'll never know what life is all about_

 _You've got to  
Get up, get up  
Try it again!  
Don't stop, don't stop  
Finish what you begin!  
Push on, pull through  
Over every hurdle  
Don't let anything get in your way!  
Just get up!_

As Peppy watched everyone having fun and singing to their hearts' content, he thought about how much Poppy would've loved this. When he looked at Harper, he realized just how strong she was, and she was so young. Poppy wasn't the only troll in the forest who had an amputated limb and had to live with it. But because she was his daughter, because she was Peppy's whole world, he was always too afraid to let her explore and learn to adapt.

Peppy sighed, leaning against one of the knobs on the moose's antlers.

 _I promised to keep her safe  
Never meant to push her away  
Everywhere, it's dark and black  
Don't know how I'll get her back_

Peppy felt someone's hand on his shoulder, and he saw Rosiepuff standing with him once more. He could tell by her comforting smile that she heard his soft singing.

 _You don't have to go it alone  
Time goes by, and you will grow  
Don't be stopped by fear and strife  
It's all just a part of life_

 _Get up, get up  
Gotta get up and try again  
Can't stop now  
Finish what you begin_

Rosiepuff nudged Peppy playfully. Finally, the father rolled his eyes with a smile and joined everyone else to finish the song.

 _You've got to  
Get up, get up  
Try it again!  
Don't stop, don't stop  
Finish what you begin!  
Push on, pull through  
Over every hurdle  
Don't let anything get in your way!  
Just get up!_

Everyone laughed as they finished the uplifting song. For the first time in years, Peppy felt truly happy. Not only that, he felt _hopeful._ He almost forgot what that felt like.

Cooper, Harper, and the other children ate dinner together, chatting happily. Harper and Cooper told of their lives traveling the Hyacinth Highway. The kids reported their reasons for traveling on the major pathway.

"So where are _you_ going?" one of the children asked Peppy and Rosiepuff.

"We're going to Bergen Town." Peppy said. "My daughter was kidnapped."

The children and Cooper gasped. "What happened?" Harper asked.

"No, kids, I don't want to talk about it." Peppy said. "Besides, it's not a very nice story."

"Please?" Harper begged, her plea echoed by her friends and even Cooper. Peppy shared a look with Rosiepuff, who shrugged. The children settled down and listened attentively.

Peppy finally relented. "Okay, here it goes. I come from an oak tree that's a long, long way from here, deep in the forest. I have a daughter named Poppy, and she's the only one of my family who survived a snake attack. She's crippled, and she can't do things other kids can't. At least, she doesn't know how…..yet…I don't know. One day, she and I just got so mad at each other. While we were fighting, these two bergens came, and one of them took her away from me. I tried to run after them, but they jumped on a couple moose and went too fast for me. So I ran after them as fast as I could until I lost them. Then I ran into Rosiepuff…..quite literally….." He chuckled a little. "She tried to lead me to where the bergens went, but then we met these three crocodiles who were trying to be vegetarians. They were nice, at first. But then there was an…..ah, altercation that led to one of them chasing us around this old boat in a swamp. During the chase, a box of fireworks exploded and scared the crocodiles away.

"When Rosiepuff and I woke up the next day, we were dangling over the swamp. We managed to get off the damaged boat, but then we ended up in the home of an angler-snake that tried to eat us. Rosiepuff was able to decipher a clue accidentally left behind by the bergens, and she even saved me from the angler-snake. After that, we traveled for a couple days and were directed to the Hyacinth Highway by some fireflies. But we ended up taking the wrong path thanks to me, and we were caught in Tarantapuff Territory. We tried to jump our way out, but the tarantapuffs caught Rose, and I had to go back for her. We managed to beat our way out. But, the truth is, we might've died if Cooper and Harper hadn't found us. Now, Rosiepuff and I are going to Bergen Town via this highway to save my daughter and bring her home." Peppy looked down. "I need to tell her how sorry I am. I said so many things to her that I didn't mean."

There was a mix of awe and sadness from the listeners. Harper hugged Peppy. "You'll find her. I know you will." The other children, Cooper, and even Rosiepuff joined in the comforting hug, speaking words of encouragement.

Peppy sighed with a small smile. "Thanks, kids. I appreciate it."

"We'll make sure you get to Bergen Town." Cooper assured. "We'll even wait for you to come back and we'll lead you home!"

"Thank you." Peppy said. "I just hope we make it there."

"You will." Harper said.

Rosiepuff nodded in agreement. "I'll make sure of it."

Peppy grinned at her. "Thank you." This time, he truly meant it. He was truly grateful to have Rosiepuff there.

* * *

What Peppy didn't know was that his story spread like a wildfire. First, the moose carrying the trolls told the story to his neighbor, who then relayed it to the birds flying overhead. When those birds reached their destination, they retold the story to their friends, who passed it to their friends, who passed it to anyone else who would listen. Details were changed and a few things got mixed up or abbreviated. But soon, the entire forest got the gist: one troll, accompanied by a friend, was traveling across the forest to find his daughter, and nothing was going to stop him.

Word traveled so much faster than Peppy and Rosiepuff did. It didn't take long for their story to reach the edge of Bergen Town, where a group of wingdingle birds snacked on little fish they found in the lake. Every wingdingle snacked peacefully except for poor Randy, who had to catch his fish and then hover in the air to eat it so the alley cats wouldn't steal his food. The cats yowled and meowed at Randy.

"Oh would you all just shut up?!" Randy snapped, throwing the remains of his food at the felines. "Thieving, conniving little beasts!" He scanned the water for another fish. A couple other birds flew past him.

"This guy who's been looking for his daughter, Poppy." One of them said.

"Poppy?" Randy quickly flew after them. "Hey! Hey, what's that you were talking about? Someone named Poppy?"

"Oh, yeah!" another wingdingle said. "Come over here, Randy. It's quite a story."

* * *

Back in Gristle's pet store, everything was quiet. In the troll tank, everyone was depressed. Gristle Jr. and his father left for their weekend trip yesterday, which meant the shop only got one visitor every day: another bergen who would come in to feed the animals and then immediately lock up the shop on their way out.

Poppy sulked in the corner, staring at the pet shop door and fearing the day Chef would waltz in and take her away. The other Tank Trolls tried to cheer her up, to no avail. Branch even locked himself in his owl statue, too ashamed to face anyone. The Tank Trolls couldn't stay mad at Branch. They knew he only wanted to help them, and he had sacrificed a lot to free them. Poppy only wished she hadn't dropped the saw and lost it. Then again, she was too afraid to go back out there.

Finally standing, Poppy hobbled towards the owl statue and crawled in through the hole at the bottom. She saw stairs leading up, and she hopped up them to reach the loft where Branch stayed. Branch sat on his sleeping mat, curled up in a ball and staring out the glass eye of the owl statue.

"Branch?" Poppy piped up.

Branch didn't answer at first. "Hey there, Princess."

Poppy hobbled up to Branch. "I'm sorry I failed."

Branch sighed. "No. Don't _ever_ apologize for what happened yesterday. I'm the one who needs to apologize."

"But I was the one who couldn't do it." Poppy said.

"And I'm the one who put you in danger." Branch said. "I was so ready to get out. I was so desperate to leave. So desperate that I was willing to put you in harm's way. But _nothing_ should be worth that." He looked to Poppy with a sad gaze. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you home, Poppy. I broke my promise."

Poppy sat next to Branch and hugged him. "You did a lot for me, Branch. I wouldn't be as strong as I am now if it weren't for you. I'm just sorry I couldn't get us all out."

Branch wrapped an arm around Poppy and held her close. Their moment was interrupted, however, by a loud _THUD_ of someone smashing into the window. The Tank Trolls hurried out to the wall facing the window, and they saw Randy climb up onto the flowerbox on the windowsill. The wingdingle held up an acorn lid attached to a string. Creek dug through the dirt and found another one, like a tin can telephone. This was the only way Randy and the Tank Trolls could talk when Gristle Sr. locked the windows.

"Poppy! Poppy, you're not going to believe what I just heard!" Randy said.

"What?" Poppy asked, curious as to what kind of news would pertain to her. "What is it?"

"Your father has been fighting his way through the whole forest looking for you!" Randy said. "He's on his way here!"

The Tank Trolls voiced their surprise, but Poppy looked doubtful. " _My_ dad? But he's afraid of the forest."

"Wait, what was his name?" Randy thought for a moment. "Kinda sounds like your name. Pippy? Pappy?"

"Peppy?" Poppy asked hopefully.

"Yep! That's him!" Randy said.

"My dad's coming to get me!" Poppy cheered. "My dad's coming to get me! How's he doing? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, but it's been a rough ride." Randy explained. "After you were scooped up by Senior, your dad ran after the moose like a maniac! He sprinted after you, but then they got away! And then he met this troll who has been helping him on the journey. But on their way to find you, they were captured by three crocodiles. What does your dad do? He scares them off with fireworks! Then he ends up in the darkness of an angler-fish home, and he has to fight off this monster while searching for a clue to find you. He and his friend manage to beat back the snake, and how do they get to celebrate? By fighting through Tarantapuff Territory! And now, your dad's riding on the Hyacinth Highway and he's headed right here to Bergen Town!"

During the whole story, Poppy's smile grew. She almost couldn't believe her father did such amazing things. She had underestimated his bravery. He was traveling the entire forest, fighting through every obstacle, just to find her.

Poppy realized something. _But what if Gristle Jr. catches him too? Then_ he _might get chosen to go with Chef!_

The Tank Trolls were in awe by the story. "Look at that, Princess. Your dad's been looking for you this whole time." Branch turned to Poppy, but was surprised when he didn't see her. He looked up and gasped.

Renewed and invigorated by her father's battle, Poppy realized she couldn't give up on Branch's escape plan. She hobbled away so fast it was like pole-vaulting across the tank. She dived foot-first into the hole and headed for the cabinet.

"Poppy, wait!" Creek shouted.

"Don't do it!" Suki called. Branch darted through the hole, hurrying after Poppy. But by then, she was already up on the counter, and Lucifer realized a troll had escaped again. The watchdog darted over from her bed in the corner. Poppy used her hair to swing herself up onto the counter and made her way to the cord plugged into the wall. Instead of climbing up onto the little ledge near the cord, Poppy climbed up the cord itself and held on while Lucifer lunged for her.

Lucifer chomped down.

" _Poppy!"_ The Tank Trolls cried in fear.

Branch jumped back as Lucifer yanked the cord from its outlet. The watchdog tore the cord right off the tank. The only reason the tank didn't fall off the counter was because it was screwed securely into place. Branch stared at the spot where Poppy once stood, and his heart nearly stopped.

 _No….she's gone…oh gods, she's gone….._ Branch looked up as Lucifer approached, and he braced himself for pain. Nothing could hurt more than losing Poppy.

Then, Lucifer paused. Her back leg twitched. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and she got a loopy look in her eyes. The watchdog rolled over onto her back, revealing Poppy scratching her tummy.

"Poppy!" Branch gasped happily.

"Hi Branch!" Poppy said. "Look, I think Lucy likes me! All she needed was a tummy rub." She hopped off the watchdog. Lucifer rolled over to her stomach and licked Poppy's face and hair. Poppy giggled, patting Lucifer on the snout. Lucifer even went so far as to help Poppy and Branch climb up into the cabinet so they could return to the tank.

"That took guts, Princess." Branch said. "Well done." The Tank Trolls cheered for Poppy until Branch could get their attention. "All right, team! We have a little over a day and a half until Gris and his dad get back. With the AC cranked up like it is, this tank will get plenty chilly by then, but we have to help it along. Someone tell Randy that, tonight, he needs to just cake a bunch of dirt onto the window so no sunlight can get through. The rest of you, gather up the blankets and put them in the middle of the tank. We'll huddle together for warmth. Uncover any gaps where you can find them. When Gristle Jr. sees the state of the tank, he'll have to take us out to replace the heater. It's going to be a couple freezing nights, but we'll get through it together."

"We can handle it!" Creek said.

"We got this!" Satin and Chenille agreed.

"Whatever we need to do, we'll do it." Guy Diamond said.

"Just tell us what we need to do." Smidge said.

Branch patted Poppy on the shoulder. "We work together and stick together, like we always have."

* * *

 **A/N: The song that replaced "Just Keep Swimming" is an original piece by me, inspired by songs like "Get Back Up Again" from** _ **Trolls**_ **and "Shut Up" by Simple Plan.**

 **Also, I have a poll up on my profile! I need to know what you all want to see for my next adaptation after I finish Part 3 of** _ **Flame of Happiness.**_


	10. Lost in the Fog

**A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter this time around, but another update will come tomorrow!**

 **Cupcake – Three words back: Thanks a lot! :D**

 **TAPDANCING GIRAF – Actually, I do plan to explain Cooper's origins some more in** _ **Flame of Happiness Part 3.**_ **Keep an eye out!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten – Lost in the Fog**

Traveling the Hyacinth Highway made the journey much easier, and Peppy and Rosiepuff covered a lot of ground. When Cooper announced they were approaching their stop, Peppy was thrilled. He was so much closer to finding his daughter. He just had to do one thing before he parted ways with Cooper.

"Okay, lean in close!" a butterfly said, armed with a camera. "Say 'cupcake'!"

"Cupcake!" Cooper, Peppy, Harper, and Rosiepuff said as the butterfly took their picture. The butterfly handed the camera and photo back to Peppy.

"Thanks." Peppy said. "My daughter will love this."

"I can't wait to meet her!" Cooper said. The quartet now rode on a turtle swimming in the river. According to Harper, they would reach their exit soon. The two trolls had their clothes cleaned while traveling, and they were ready to go.

"Dad and I will wait here until you get back, and we'll lead you back up the Hyacinth Highway and towards home." Harper said.

"We're very thankful." Peppy said.

"Yes, I don't think we would've even survived to get this far without you." Rosiepuff agreed.

Cooper looked around. "Your exit's coming up! Get ready!" He led Rosiepuff and Peppy to a small log, the length of a piece of firewood, floating beside the turtle. They and Harper climbed on, and Cooper steered them into a channel that flowed from the main line of the river.

"Now for your instruction on proper exiting technique." Harper said to Peppy and Rosiepuff. "You just have to hang on tight, let your body flow with the movement of the rapids, and scream like a crazy person all the way down!"

"Wait, rapids? Down?" Peppy asked. "What do you mean?"

"See you when you get back!" Cooper and Harper jumped off the log and onto the shore, waving to Rosiepuff and Peppy as they floated away.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Peppy called. "Say that first part again!"

"When you get to the pool at the bottom, find the bramble bushes and then go straight through them to get to Bergen Town!" Cooper called.

"What bushes?" Peppy asked.

"Uh, Peppy?" Rosiepuff piped up. Peppy looked ahead, and his eyes widened at the sight of the whitewater rapids.

"Hang on!" Peppy and Rosiepuff hugged the log just as it was swept away into the current. The rapids tossed them up and down, and they went underwater several times. But they held on tight and didn't let go for anything. Thankfully for them, it was a quick ride through the rapids and down a short waterfall. They landed in a calm pool of water, and the log they rode drifted to the shore.

Rosiepuff laughed gleefully. "That was fun, huh?"

Peppy chuckled. "Actually, yes! I really did enjoy that!" The two of them continued to laugh as they pulled themselves onto solid ground and wrung out their hair and clothes as best they could.

Rosiepuff looked up and gasped. "Oh my." Peppy followed her gaze. Before them lay the bramble bushes Cooper mentioned. But this part of the forest was shrouded in a thick morning fog. "I guess we have to go through that." Rosiepuff said.

"Yep." Peppy nodded.

"Gristle Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue, Bergen Town."

"Yes. We'll just keep going straight."

Peppy led the way. The two trolls carefully crawled through the thorny shrubs and emerged on the other side to see even more fog and shadows of trees. Still, they kept walking. The walk was silent as the two trolls scanned the area, just in case something came from the fog. The trees became sparser, and sometimes disappeared altogether. It was oddly quiet. Surely the animals of the forest wouldn't still be asleep at this time of the morning. Then again, maybe everyone stayed in their homes until the fog lifted. Peppy and Rosiepuff couldn't tell what time it was due to the thick fog. They did know that they walked for a long time and didn't see anything.

"Should we play a game?" Rosiepuff asked. "Help pass the time?"

"No, maybe not." Peppy said. "My nerves are a little too frayed for that."

"Okay. How about we sing a song?" Rosiepuff suggested.

"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." Peppy said.

Rosiepuff huffed and muttered sarcastically, "Well, aren't we a barrel of fun?"

Peppy chuckled softly. They kept walking. As they did, Peppy noticed Rosiepuff seemed a little more lucid, more focused. She even remembered his name and their mission, something that had been kind of on and off throughout the trip. Peppy shrugged off those musings and focused on finding his daughter.

However, two hours later, the trolls seemed even more lost.

"Okay, wait." Peppy said. "I know I've seen that pebble before. That means we passed it before which means we're going in circles which means we're not going straight which means we're lost and that means—"

"Peppy!" Rosiepuff grabbed Peppy by the shoulders and shook him a little. "Take a deep breath and calm down."

Peppy reluctantly inhaled through his nose and let out the breath through his mouth. "Okay. I'm calm. It's all good."

"That's right." Rosiepuff said. "We'll be fine. Instead of freaking out over being lost in a fog, why don't we find a tree or a hole or something and just relax until it blows over?"

"But we have to find Poppy sooner rather than later." Peppy said.

"Well, then let's ask for directions." Rosiepuff suggested.

Peppy gave her a deadpan look. "Who do you want to ask? The pebble? There's no one out here!"

"I'm sure there's _somebody_ out here. It's not like we're the only two trolls in the whole forest." Rosiepuff looked around. "Let's see…..we can ask…..oh!" She pointed into the fog, and Peppy noticed a shadowy, round creature. "Let's ask that fella!"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Peppy stopped her. "Rosiepuff, we have no idea who or what that is. We ask it for directions, and it might swallow us whole!"

"You're acting paranoid." Rosiepuff said.

"But we have no idea—"

"Do you want to find your daughter or not?"

"I do, but—"

"Well, how are you going to do that if we don't ask for a little help?"

Peppy still looked unsure. "Rose, I just think—"

"Come on. Trust me." Rosiepuff said.

Those words sparked a memory in Peppy. He glanced to Rosiepuff's bandaged shoulder and arm. The last time he didn't trust Rosiepuff, she was nearly killed. What if something similar happened because he didn't listen this time? He sighed. "Okay. Fine."

Rosiepuff stepped a little closer to the shadow. "Excuse me? Hello there!" She called. "His daughter Tulip—"

"Poppy." Peppy corrected.

"Right, Poppy, was taken to Bergen Town!" Rosiepuff called to the creature. "We're a little lost. Do you think you can help us?" The shadowy creature didn't move at first. "It's okay, we won't hurt you. Come on out, little fella."

Peppy suddenly realized something. The trees only looked shadowy when they were farther away from them. They also looked smaller. So if this creature looked small and shadowy…. "Rosiepuff, I don't think he's a little fella."

Sure enough, some of the fog cleared so that the trolls could see they talked to a small hill monster. "Oh! Oh, a hill monster." Rosiepuff said. "And a cute one!"

"Run for it!" Peppy grabbed Rosiepuff's wrist to pull her along, but Rosiepuff dug her heels into the ground.

"Hey, take it easy." Rosiepuff said. "Maybe he can still help us."

"Or eat us for lunch!" Peppy said.

"Would you stop freaking out?"

"We need to run!"

"I thought you wanted to get out of here?"

"I want to get as far away from that monster as possible!"

"Just because they're called 'hill _monsters_ ' doesn't mean they're actually monsters."

"Why can't you just listen to me for once?!"

Suddenly, Peppy and Rosiepuff realized they stood in something's shadow. They looked up to see the hill monster had approached them and now stood just a short distance away. In fact, it opened its mouth and shot its tongue out at them.

"Look out!" Peppy pushed Rosiepuff aside, and the hill monster tongue wrapped around his leg. Rosiepuff lunged back towards him and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him free. But the hill monster tongue plucked both of them off the ground and pulled them into its mouth, where darkness enveloped them.

* * *

Back in the tank, the trolls did their best to stay warm until Gristle Sr. and Jr. returned from their weekend trip. The tank had definitely cooled in that time. Randy did a good job dirtying up the windows, so no sunlight could warm up the tank. Without the heater and with the AC blasting, life in the trolls' tank had gotten harder.

"Nice and chilly. It's all thanks to you, Princess." Branch said, breathing warm air into his hand.

"Glad I could help." Poppy said.

Branch noticed something. "Satin, Chenille, we need to use those blankets for warmth! You can't use them to make fancy coats!"

"Sorry." The twins chorused.

Poppy giggled. Everyone did their best to live with the situation, though Biggie kept Mr. Dinkles wrapped in a blanket like a baby. Poppy's fingers and toes felt cold, but she could live with it as long as it got her home.

Branch called everyone together at lunch on Sunday. "Okay, guys! This is it! Gristle Jr. and his dad are coming home today. All you have to do with act sluggish. Don't oversell the chill. We're not exactly dying of hypothermia yet. Now go!" The Tank Trolls got to work, trying to portray just how cold they were without being over-the-top.

After another hour, the doorknob twitched as Gristle Sr. unlocked the door. Lucifer barked and bounded over to the door.

"Hey there, Lucy!" Gristle Jr. greeted, rubbing the watchdog's ears. "Geez, Dad, it's freezing in here."

"Well, I didn't want to animals to overheat." Gristle Sr. said. "That's why we put in heaters in the enclosures. If the animals get cold, they huddle up. But it's hard for an animal to deal with excessive heat. Makes them limp, you know?"

Gristle Jr. nodded in understanding. He jogged to the troll tank. "Hey guys! Did you miss me?" He gasped. "Hey Dad! I think something's wrong with the trolls!"

Gristle Sr. walked over and was surprised to see the trolls in the tank looking stiff and lethargic. Gristle Sr. looked over the tank, and he saw the cord to the heater ripped right off the tank. "Oh dear. I think Lucy might've gotten excited by something. And look at that window! Darn kids again."

"It's a good thing you're a good watchdog, Lucifer." Gristle Jr. sighed. He opened the tank and carefully scooped out Creek. "Poor little guys. They're cold to the touch."

"Unfortunately, the supplies shop is closed today." Gristle Sr. said. "Why don't you put a heating pad in the tank so they can warm up? I'll go get a new heater for the tank tomorrow morning."

"Okay, will do." Gristle Jr. said. "I think I'll clean their tank tomorrow, too. It looks like it could use a little TLC." Gristle Jr. placed Creek back in the tank and shut the lid. "Where'd you put the wire cages, Dad? I want to make sure they don't get into any trouble, running around the store."

The trolls waited until Gristle and his father were out of sight, and they cheered. "You hear that, Princess?" Branch laughed.

"He's going to clean the tank! He's going to clean the tank!" Poppy cheered. "We're getting out of here!"

"Yay Poppy!" Biggie cheered. The rest of the Tank Trolls echoed him. Soon, Gristle Jr. arrived with the heating pad, which he plugged into an extension cord so it could reach the outlet. The Tank Trolls curled up onto the heated pad, relishing in the heat and warming their toes and fingers. Poppy hadn't stopped smiling.

Branch patted Poppy on the shoulder. "Well done, Princess. You ready to see your father?"

"You bet!" Poppy nodded.

Branch chuckled. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he's out on the edge of Bergen Town right now, waiting for you."

After everything that Poppy heard about her father's journey, she didn't doubt that for a second.


	11. Rosiepuff's Story

**Chapter Eleven – Rosiepuff's Story**

Hill monsters were interesting creatures. They varied in size, but the ones who lived in the forest generally didn't get much bigger than large elephants. The wider and more spacious the area, the bigger the hill monster. The one who snapped up Peppy and Rosiepuff was about twice the size of an African elephant. Another thing to know about hill monsters was that they were remarkably smart for creatures with rather small brains. The hill monster who took Peppy and Rosiepuff had heard of their journey, and was surprised to find the two famous trolls. The hill monster did not swallow them, but instead held the two trolls in its mouth as it lumbered slowly through the forest and across wide meadows.

Inside the hill monster's mouth, Peppy and Rosiepuff went through various phases of reacting to the situation.

First, Peppy panicked and ran about the inside of the hill monster's mouth. Rosiepuff pounded her shoulder against the beast's teeth.

Then, Peppy had a panic attack and Rosiepuff had to calm him down.

There were a few more rounds of intermittent calm and panic after that.

Finally, Peppy began ramming into the hill monster's teeth. The hill monster hadn't swallowed them, so they had been sitting on the beast's tongue for the past few hours. Peppy went back as far as he could while staying far away from the throat. Then he would charge towards the hill monster's teeth and slam his full body weight into them. But the bony teeth, obviously, didn't move. That didn't stop Peppy as he continue to beat against them for an hour. Rosiepuff, meanwhile, tried to occupy her time as best she could. In the hour Peppy spent smashing himself into teeth, she had analyzed their surroundings for a way out (that didn't involve being swallowed and going out the hind end), touched up her lipstick, combed her hair, doodled some pictures in a sketchbook she stored in her hair, and even used the hill monster's tongue as a slide to kill some time.

Rosiepuff watched with a bored expression as Peppy shouted in effort and rammed into the teeth yet again. "Would you stop that?"

"NO!" Peppy snapped, backing up for another charge. "Don't you understand where we are?"

"Yes. In a hill monster's mouth." Rosiepuff said calmly.

"Yes!" Peppy yelled angrily. "And it's all your fault! If you hadn't shouted at it, it wouldn't have found us!"

"Well excuse me for trying to get some help." Rosiepuff huffed, blowing her bangs from her face. "I was just trying to talk to him. The problem with that plan was you freaking out."

"No, the problem is _you're insane!"_ Peppy yelled. He slammed himself into the teeth, hitting them with his cane. "I have to get out of here! I have to find my daughter! I have to tell her that I met a llama-troll!" Peppy finally tired himself out, sinking to the floor of the hill monster's mouth. He buried his face in his hands, lamenting over the situation.

Rosiepuff stared at Peppy for a long moment. She sighed softly, stood, and walked over to Peppy. She took the spot beside him and smiled gently. "Hey, come on. It'll be all right."

"No. No, it won't." Peppy said.

"Oh, sure it will." Rosiepuff assured. "Just you wait and see. Everything is going to be all right."

Peppy shook his head. "It's _not_ going to be all right. This is all my fault."

"What do you mean?" Rosiepuff asked.

"I promised her." Peppy sighed heavily. "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Rosiepuff's eyebrows knit together in thought. "Hm. That's a funny thing to promise, don't you think?"

"What?" Peppy finally looked at her questioningly.

"You can't 'never let anything happen to her.'" Rosiepuff said. "Because then nothing would _ever_ happen to her. Like, absolutely nothing."

Peppy stared at her, letting her words roll around in his head. Poppy is a bright and energetic child. She never liked to stay in one place for very long. Hobbling around on crutches didn't stop her, even when her father tried. But after Peppy lost his wife and the unborn twin, he became determined to never let Poppy go.

"I'm just saying." Rosiepuff shrugged. "Doesn't sound like much fun for little Petunia."

Peppy sighed again. "Rosiepuff, I appreciate your failed attempt to cheer me up. But you don't have a family. Even if you do have one, you don't remember them. So you really have no idea what it's like to be in my situation. You don't know how it feels to lose someone you love."

Rosiepuff's smile disappeared. She looked both hurt and insulted. After a tense, quiet moment, Rosiepuff reached into her hair and pulled out a photo, worn from age. She stared at it, and then handed it to Peppy. Peppy looked up in surprise, and he took the picture. The image depicted two trolls, laughing and seeming to simply enjoy life. One of the trolls was clearly Rosiepuff. The other was a young boy with blue skin, dark blue hair, and icy blue eyes. He wore brown shorts and a suspender strap to keep them up.

"Who is this?" Peppy asked.

"That's Branch. He's my grandson." Rosiepuff said. "Believe me when I say I remember him _very_ well."

Peppy looked surprised. "So…where is he?"

"I don't know." Rosiepuff shrugged. "I've been searching for him for a long time." She took the photo back and stared at it sadly. "He was so young when he was taken from me. It was just a normal day out in the forest. Nothing seemed off about it. One minute, he was right by my side. The next minute, he was gone."

* * *

" _Look at me, Grandma! Look at me!" Branch called, bouncing on a Trampoline Mushroom and doing flips._

 _Rosiepuff giggled, watching her five-year-old grandson bounce around like a hyperactive frog. "Do be careful, Branch."_

" _I will! Whoa!" Branch made a small mistake with his jumping, and he ended up flying off the mushroom. He landed right in his grandmother's arms, and she hugged him tight. He grimaced when she kissed his cheek. "Ew! Grandma!" Branch whined, wriggling out of his grandmother's arms. He rubbed his cheek. "That's gross!"_

" _But you're just so adorable." Rosiepuff cooed, tickling the boy's ribs. Branch couldn't stop his laughter then. Rosiepuff held her grandson close. When she set him down, Branch started running after a butterfly. "Don't go too far, Branch!" Rosiepuff called after him._

" _I won't!" Branch called back as he dashed through some bushes to chase the butterfly._

 _Rosiepuff shook her head with a chuckle. But she jumped when she heard Branch shout in surprise and fear. "Branch!" She sprinted through the bushes. On the other side, she saw her grandson running away from a bergen child who chased after the little troll. With a mighty leap, the child leapt forward and slammed a glass jar over the troll, catching Branch inside._

" _Gotcha!" the bergen laughed. He scooped Branch up into the jar and screwed on the lid, which already had a few holes punched into it for air._

" _Put him down!" Rosiepuff shouted, even when she knew no bergen would understand her. Once she was close enough, she threw her hair out to grab the bergen child's wrist. She jerked his grip lose, and the jar holding Branch fell to the ground. It didn't shatter, though. Rosiepuff retracted her hair and dodged the bergen child's attempts to grab her. She ducked through a hole in a root, and the child tripped and fell to the ground. Rosiepuff ran back to her trapped grandson._

" _Grandma?" Branch whimpered._

" _It's okay, Branch. I've got you." Rosiepuff assured. "Everything is going to be all right." She moved to the lid of the jar and tried to pry it off. Unfortunately, she didn't see the bergen child recovering from his fall. The child picked up a small rock and threw it. By some sheer stroke of luck—good for the bergen, bad for the trolls—the rock hit Rosiepuff's head and knocked her to the ground. She was out cold instantly._

 _When Rosiepuff woke up thanks to the chill of raindrops on her face, her head throbbed and a dried blood trail graced the side of her face. She looked around and jumped to her feet when she realized it was dark with rainclouds and there was no sign of the bergen child or her beloved grandson. There was a crowd of forest creatures in the area. None of them had noticed her unconscious form, nor did they see her wake up._

" _Branch!" Rosiepuff shouted, scanning the crowd. "Branch, where are you?" She ran towards the creatures, trying to stop one to talk to them. "Have you seen a bergen anywhere? A child? You couldn't have missed him." Nobody paid any attention to her. Everyone pushed past her or ignored her. "Please, someone help me! They took Branch! They took my grandson!" Still, she was pushed aside and people shrugged her off. "Why won't anyone listen to me?"_

 _Quite abruptly, someone shoved Rosiepuff to the ground to get her to shut up. Rosiepuff fell right in the mud. In response, the creatures around her laughed at her expense. The rain encouraged everyone to retreat to their homes for shelter, and Rosiepuff was left alone in the mud. She moved to a kneeling position, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She was absolutely heartbroken, and fearful for her grandson's life. He was out there somewhere, taken away by a selfish bergen child. Nobody would help her, either._

 _Rosiepuff's sorrow turned to anger, and she wiped her tears away while simultaneously getting mud on her face. She paid no mind to it as she stood and started walking._

 _She would find him, even if it killed her._

* * *

"That was ten years ago, but it's a memory that's burned in my mind." Rosiepuff said. "My grandson—the only family I really had left—was ripped away from me. But did anyone help? No. They were too busy with their own lives, too selfish to think of a poor old troll who just went through something horrible. Then, I decided I didn't need anyone to help me. I decided I would find Branch no matter what tried to stop me. So, for the last decade, I have searched the forests, gone through a desert, even climbed a mountain. But I haven't been able to find him."

Peppy stared at Rosiepuff. "You don't have short-term memory loss, do you?"

"Nope." Rosiepuff said. "But I swore that I wouldn't let anything distract me from finding Branch. I wanted to make sure everyone left me alone so I could better focus. And people tend to leave you alone when they think you're sick, especially in the head. When you ran into me, I thought it would be easy to repel you. But you stuck with me, and expected me to lead you on some insane mission. I have to admit that you looked even crazier than I acted. I took one look at you and thought, 'Here's a guy that will waste my time.' So when you didn't leave at first, I went along with those crocodiles to show you just how looney I was. But then you decided I was useful for reading bergen off a thermos."

"So all of that craziness you put me through? That was an act?" Peppy asked.

"Pretty much." Rosiepuff nodded. "You kept me around so you wouldn't forget the address. Or maybe because you didn't know the forest and thought I did know. So I had to really amp up the act, while continuing my searching while we walked. We were just about to split up, at last, when we ran into those fireflies and got the directions. I realized that I would feel guilty if I just left you going in the wrong direction. I followed you so I could tell you what the fireflies told me about going down the right path. When you went down the other one, I almost just left you there. But something gnawed at me, so I followed you again. And then that whole issue with the spiders happened."

"But then, after all that, why did you still stay with me?" Peppy asked. "You could've left after Cooper and Harper healed you."

"I almost did. I figured all you needed was a pep talk/song, and then I could go on my merry way and continue my searching." Rosiepuff finally looked to Peppy. "And then I heard your story. You told me about how you lost your daughter. When I heard it was because of a bergen, I realized that helping you find your daughter might bring me one step closer to finding my grandson. I've been to half a dozen other bergen cities and towns, and I haven't found hide nor hair of Branch. I thought that, if I stayed with you, I would have a better chance."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Peppy asked. "Why keep up the short-term memory loss act?" It took a few seconds for Peppy to reach a good theory. "Is it because you were planning to leave once we reached Bergen Town?"

Rosiepuff nodded slowly. "Yes. I figured you would find your kid all right, and I could go on. You wouldn't miss me because you'd have been fed up with me and my issues."

"I don't think I…." Peppy trailed off at Rosiepuff's raised eyebrow. He realized that was exactly what would've happened.

"Like I said: people tend to leave you alone when they think you're crazy." Rosiepuff stared at the picture of her grandson, and her eyes became tear-filled. "But you know what? I've been pretending for so long, acting with such conviction, that I'm starting to think I really am…" She let out a shuddering sigh, turning away from Peppy and rubbing her eyes dry on her wrist.

"Hey, come on." Peppy put a comforting hand on Rosiepuff's shoulder. "You're not crazy. You're just…" He thought for a moment, and then smiled. "You're just like me. A parent who lost their kid and would move heaven and earth to find them again."

Rosiepuff sniffled a little. "At least we're getting closer finding your daughter. I've been searching for ten years, and I don't think I'm any closer to finding my grandson."

"Maybe because you didn't have someone to help you." Peppy said. "I'm sorry no one would stop to help. But you have to understand how helpful you've been to me. You read the writing on the thermos. You saved me from an angler-snake. You got the directions from those fireflies. Most of all, you didn't let me give up. You didn't let my frustrations stop me. I can't thank you enough for that."

Rosiepuff finally allowed a small smile to appear on her lips. "Well, it's been nice having some company, for once."

Peppy nodded in agreement. His expression shifted to one of determination. "Rosiepuff, I promise you right now that, after we find Poppy, we're going to find Branch."

Rosiepuff gasped softly. "What? But—"

"You said you've been to half a dozen bergen communities. Maybe Branch is in Bergen Town!" Peppy suggested. "We'll find Poppy, and maybe she's heard or seen something while staying there."

"But what if we don't find him?" Rosiepuff asked.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there." Peppy said. "You help me get my daughter, I'll help you get your grandson. Deal?"

Almost completely overcome with emotion, Rosiepuff hugged Peppy tightly. Peppy returned the embrace. Finally, he could call Rosiepuff his friend, the only true friend he had this entire trip.

The two trolls jumped when they felt the hill monster's tongue shift beneath them. A soft grumbling sound echoed in the hill monster's mouth.

"What's happening?" Peppy murmured.

"I'll ask." Rosiepuff offered, standing.

"Uh, Rose? Maybe you shouldn't—"

"Hello! Excuse me!"

"Okay. She's asking. Okay." Peppy sighed. He wasn't even sure if the hill monster would hear them. Even if it could, hill monsters weren't so good at speaking to other creatures. The hill monster language itself was hard to understand.

"Hello!" Rosiepuff called. "What's going on?"

Another growl, this one louder, echoed through the hill monster's mouth and forced the two trolls to cover their ears.

"I didn't quite get that." Rosiepuff said. "But it almost sounded like he said we stopped."

"How exactly can you understand him?" Peppy asked as he stood.

"I do know some words from other animal dialects." Rosiepuff said.

Peppy nodded slowly. "Right." he said with some disbelief. "Why don't we stop talking to him before things get worse?"

"We're inside the mouth of a hill monster. I don't see how it can get worse." Rosiepuff paused. "Why are my feet wet?"

The two trolls looked down, and they realized the hill monster's mouth began to fill with water. Already, the water reached above their ankles. "What's happening?" Peppy asked in a panicked tone.

"I'm not sure." Rosiepuff said. "Maybe he's just thirsty?"

Another growl came from the hill monster.

"Okay, I almost got that one." Rosiepuff said. "He either said we need to relax and float, or he needs laxatives for his bloat."

"What?!" Peppy looked like he would have another panic attack.

"I know. Laxatives are not going to help with bloating." Rosiepuff said. "Maybe he really does just want us to relax."

"Relax? How can we relax?" Peppy demanded. "He wants to eat us!" He and Rosiepuff yelped when the hill monster shifted his tongue, knocking them off their feet and into the water. When they stood up again, the water was up to their necks. Peppy grabbed Rosiepuff's hand and swam/ran towards the hill monster's teeth. He stabbed his cane between one of the hill monster's teeth and the gums. The hill monster growled a little, but the water kept coming. Then, the entire inside of the hill monster's mouth shifted ninety degrees up, dumping the water to the back of the throat. Peppy and Rosiepuff were left dangling, Peppy holding onto his cane with one hand and keeping a tight grip onto Rosiepuff with the other.

"Peppy?" Rosiepuff gulped.

"What the heck is going on?" Peppy demanded.

"Do you want me to ask him or are you going to yell at me some more?" Rosiepuff snapped.

"You shouldn't have been talking to him in the first place!" Peppy snapped back. "It's not like you understood him!"

"I can too understand him!" Rosiepuff insisted.

"No, you can't!" Peppy shouted. "You think you can, but you just can't, Poppy!" Peppy froze. This was too much déjà vu for him. He suddenly became aware of the many similarities between Rosiepuff and Poppy: their curiosity, their cheeriness, their determination to solve their own problems through sheer stubbornness. Though Peppy worried now like he did for Poppy, he began to wonder if it truly was his fear that drove his daughter away.

The hill monster's tongue shot from the water and grabbed Rosiepuff's ankle. The beast's tongue yanked her away from Peppy before he could tighten his grip. She disappeared in the water.

" _Rose!"_ Peppy scanned the water desperately. _No…no, please….don't leave me…_

In seconds, Rosiepuff's head popped up from the water. "Peppy! Peppy, let go!"

"What?" Peppy gawked.

"Just let go!" Rosiepuff called up to him. "Everything is going to be all right!"

"But how do you know?" Peppy asked. "I mean, how do you know something bad won't happen?"

"I don't!" Rosiepuff admitted. "I have no idea what will happen, but I do have faith that everything will be all right!"

Peppy stared at the water. The hill monster hadn't moved. It was waiting for him. But if he let go, would he live to see his daughter again? Or would he be this beast's dinner? Rosiepuff encouraged him down. She had faith everything would work out, even when she didn't know what would happen.

Taking a deep breath, Peppy jerked his cane free and fell into the water.

Rosiepuff swam over and grabbed his wrist. They hugged each other so they wouldn't be separated again. They braced themselves for whatever happened. After a moment, many large bubbles appeared as though the water were boiling.

Outside, the hill monster lounged on the edge of a lake. The hill monster gargled the water in his mouth and then spit it out, spitting out the trolls right along with it. Peppy and Rosiepuff shouted in surprise as they flew through the cool night air. They sailed overhead and landed right in another body of water. It took several seconds for them to regain their bearings and swim up. The two trolls broke the surface with deep gasps, crawling up onto a piece of driftwood and coughing.

Peppy burst out laughing. "We're alive!"

"Told you!" Rosiepuff said, laughing right with him.

Peppy looked around. They had apparently landed in a lake, which explains how the hill monster got his water. He gasped when he saw the silhouette and lights of a town across the lake. "Rosiepuff, that sign! Can you read that?"

Rosiepuff squinted a little. "Bear….gain…Ber….Bergen….." She gasped. "Bergen Town! Peppy, we're in Bergen Town!"

"We made it!" Peppy whooped and cheered.

"We're going to find the kids!" Rosiepuff cheered. The two of them looked to the shore when they heard a low bellow, and they saw the hill monster waving to them.

"Thank you, mister!" Peppy waved. The hill monster let out a low moan, like a whale call, and lumbered back into the forest. "Come on, Rose, start paddling!" Peppy urged. "The sooner we get to town, the sooner we find the kids!"

"Right!" Rosiepuff nodded.


	12. Cat Chase

**A/N: I was hoping you guys would like that twist I put in the last chapter! That memory problem is something I want to touch on again in** _ **Finding Dory**_ **if I decide to do that adaptation.**

 **I love how the polls are coming along! I will check the final tallies at the end of this story and announce the winner and follow-up on the final chapter. So keep voting! I love doing these adaptations. As much as I want to write what everyone wants to see, I have to be really motivated and really love the movie. That's why I want your help. I can't decide from the movies I love.**

 **Miraculous Dragon Master – I have plenty more adaptations if you want to see them!**

 **Jpbake – That scene is coming up! I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve – Cat Chase**

Morning sunlight streamed through the window of Sr. and Jr. Pet Shop, making for a lovely alarm clock to wake up the Tank Trolls. If they hadn't been so comfortable, they would've been awake long before the sun rose. Since the tank had gotten cooler, the trolls had to sleep all huddled together on top of the heating pad Gristle Jr. left in the tank.

Suki moaned a little. "Guy, scoot over. It's too hot for you to be sleeping so close to me."

"Yeah, yeah." Guy Diamond yawned, scooting away from Suki.

Everyone's eyes flew open. They shouted in surprise as they scrambled away from each other. They were all a little sweaty from sleeping so close to each other. They were so sweaty because the tank was suddenly warm again.

"Wait, what?" Guy Diamond gawked.

"What happened?" Satin asked.

"Why is it so warm in here?" Chenille asked. "Gris couldn't have installed the heater already."

Branch did a quick look-around to investigate, and he groaned. "That's why." He pointed up, and everyone saw a heat lamp installed above the tank. "Gris must've put it in last night, while we were sleeping, just to hold us over until we get the new heater."

"Aw, how considerate of him." Biggie said.

"Yeah, real considerate." Smidge grumbled. "Except now the escape plan is ruined!"

"What are we going to do when Chef gets here?" Creek asked, looking to Branch. In fact, everyone stared at Branch questioningly.

"We'll figure something out." Branch said. "For now, Poppy, go hide somewhere." Poppy nodded in understanding and hobbled away. "Okay, we can still work through this. We just need to find a way to get out _before_ Chef gets here with Bridget."

"Well, we can't hide Poppy forever." Creek said. "Chef is going to throw a fit."

Fuzzbert garbled. "Fuzzbert's right, maybe she won't." Smidge translated. "If one of us went with Bridget instead—"

"Absolutely not!" Branch snapped. "As long as you live under the same roof as Chef, you're bound to get hurt." He rubbed his scarred arm. "No. No, we'll figure out something else. Let's just stay calm."

" _Branch!"_ Poppy suddenly screamed.

Branch spun around just in time to see Gristle Sr. pluck Poppy and her crutches from the tank. "Poppy! No!" But he couldn't run over in time, and Gristle Sr. shut the lid of the tank before any of the trolls inside could follow. Gristle Sr. placed Poppy in a small cage, setting it on the counter to await Chef and Bridget.

"Do we have to give up Pinkie?" Gristle Jr. asked his father. "We just got her. I promised I'd take care of her."

"Do you trust Bridget to take care of her, too?" Gristle Sr. asked.

"Definitely." Gristle Jr. nodded.

"Then you shouldn't have to worry about anything." Gristle Sr. said. "Besides, I think Pinkie will like being a pet to a girl. I hear Bridget knows how to sew dresses. They'll have tea parties and play dress-up and do all those girly things." Gristle Sr. sighed as he unlocked the shop door and flipped the sign over to "Open." "Son, I will never again trust Chef with another creature's life. Too many have died because of her. But I've known Bridget for a long time because her parents are good friends. She's a sweet young lady who deserves a true friend and should not be refused a gift."

Gristle Jr. nodded again in agreement. "Okay. I think so, too. Pinkie will be safe with her."

While they talked, they didn't realize Poppy was still freaking out a little. "Branch!" she called, futilely kicking at the bars of the cage. "Branch, help me!"

"Just calm down, Poppy!" Branch said. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Get me out of here!" Poppy begged.

"I will!" Branch only thought about how to calm Poppy so he could figure out her escape. "I'll figure something out, Poppy, I promise. We just have to—"

The door suddenly swung open, slamming against the wall.

The Tank Trolls gasped.

" _CHEF!"_

* * *

Even with two trolls paddling, it took an hour for Peppy and Rosiepuff to get to the other side of the lake and crawl onto dry land. After taking a few minutes to wring out their clothes as best they could, they headed into Bergen Town and began their search. They hitched a ride on a carriage to reach some stables, where they talked to every horse, moose, and cow there. Nobody knew of any bergens going to the meadow. In fact, all the steeds in these stables were strictly used for carriage taxis and rickshaws in Bergen Town. But one of them did know Glitter Avenue. Unfortunately, the directions he gave the trolls were so confusing that they got lost again. Still, they didn't give up, and they started asking any moose they passed as they searched Bergen Town.

So excited to finally reach their destination, Peppy and Rosiepuff forgot to sleep. When morning arrived over Bergen Town, they were still determined but also very tired.

"Sorry, haven't heard of any other trolls brought in from the forest." The moose shook his head as his rider flicked his reins. "Good luck, though!"

"Thanks anyway." Peppy said. He and Rosiepuff sat in a small tree on the sidewalk, where they could talk to moose as they pulled their taxis up to the curb. But they had talked with ten moose already, and none of them could help.

"Maybe we should try somewhere else." Rosiepuff suggested.

"Yes, maybe." Peppy looked down as another taxi pulled up. He lowered himself down to the moose. "Excuse me? Sorry to bother you, but do you know where Gristle Sr., 114 Glitter Avenue is?"

"Don't know any Gristle Sr." The moose said. "But I do know Glitter Avenue. Go down this road and take your third left."

"Thank you!" Peppy returned to Rosiepuff and led her down the street. The two trolls stayed hidden as best they could. At one point, they ducked into an alleyway to catch their breath.

"Are we there yet?" Rosiepuff yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Almost. One more corner to go." Peppy felt something lean on him, and he realized Rosiepuff used his shoulder for a pillow. He lightly patted her face to wake her up. "Come on, Rosiepuff. I know you're tired and we haven't slept all night, but we have to keep going."

"No, no!" Rosiepuff yawned again. "No problem. I once went three days without sleeping while searching for Branch." She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her exhaustion.

Peppy sighed. "Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a quick nap." He walked further into the alleyway. "Or maybe we could even cut across these buildings and get there faster. What do you think?" Peppy turned to Rosiepuff again, only she had fallen asleep once more. "Rose!"

"I'm up!" Rosiepuff shook her head. "I'm good. I'm—" She gasped, staring above Peppy's head with wide eyes.

"There's something big behind me, isn't there?" Peppy groaned. Rosiepuff nodded vigorously. Peppy almost didn't want to look. Slowly, he turned around…

…and came nose-to-nose with an alley cat.

" _RAOW!"_ The cat yowled.

" _AAAAAHHHHH!"_ the trolls shouted. They turned and ran as fast as they could. The cat chased them, right between the legs of bergens passing by and into the street. Bergens shouted in surprise, and a couple tripped from the cat. A bicyclist swerved to avoid the trolls and crashed into a tree. Taxis, carriages, and bergens riding other animals skidded to a stop to avoid the trolls and the alley cat. The alley cat had to stop to avoid being trampled while Peppy and Rosiepuff managed to scurry up another tree. They panted heavily.

"You…okay?" Peppy asked.

"Fine." Rosiepuff said. "I'm awake, now."

"Good." Peppy said. "We're good. It's all okay. Let's just go find Poppy and—"

"Did you say 'Poppy?'"

The trolls spun around to see a wingdingle behind them. The bird smiled. "You're Poppy's dad! I knew it! Boy, was that a great show you put on out in the street. My name's Randy, and—" Randy paused when he realized the trolls had disappeared while he wasn't looking, and he saw them running down the street. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Keep running, Rosiepuff!" Peppy urged.

"Don't worry, I'm running!" Rosiepuff assured. They darted into another alleyway, but Randy stayed right behind them.

Randy flew ahead and landed in their path. When the trolls turned to run the other way, Randy hopped over them and stopped them again. "Would you just wait a minute? I have something to tell you!"

"You better back off, bird brain, or else!" Peppy threatened, holding up his cane for protection.

A low meow sounded from above, causing the three of them to freeze. Slowly, the trolls and the wingdingle looked up, and they saw alley cats all around them. They were perched on garbage cans and fire escapes, and even on clotheslines stretched between the buildings. They all eyed the two trolls hungrily.

"Okay, don't make any sudden movements or loud noises." Randy whispered. "Just hop on my back if you want to live."

"How exactly is trusting a wingdingle—who eats trolls—going to help us?" Peppy demanded.

"First off, because this wingdingle only eats fish." Randy said, eyeing the cats as they crept closer. "And second, because I can take you to your daughter."

"You think we're stupid or something?" Rosiepuff snapped.

"No, really." Randy insisted. "I know your kid. She's pink and she's always got a bright smile and she's missing half a leg—"

"That's Poppy!" Peppy suddenly shouted.

The cats lunged at once, and Peppy and Rosiepuff were nearly lost in a sea of fur and claws and teeth. Luckily, Randy could pluck each troll out of the scuffle and toss them onto his back before he flew up towards the rooftops. The cats followed.

"Hang on!" Randy called to his passengers. "This is going to be rough!"

Peppy and Rosiepuff gripped Randy's feathers tightly. The cats, being so agile, could easily climb up the fire escapes and dart across rooftops to chase after Randy and the trolls. Irrational, maybe, but hungry cats had to eat. Randy knew the light breeze today would make flying harder if he went higher. He also couldn't risk knocking off his passengers. So he stuck to skimming the rooftops. The cats would leap up and swipe their claws, but Randy punched each one away. He weaved through chimneys and ducked in and out of alleyways, hoping to throw the felines off.

However, as he tried to slalom through clotheslines in another alleyway, a cat appeared from a pair of trousers and swiped a paw. The cat's paw caught Peppy and knocked him right off Randy's back. While Randy tried to stop himself mid-flight, Peppy grabbed another clothesline to halt his fall to the unforgiving asphalt. A couple cats prowled towards him. Peppy swung himself down and landed in the pocket of an apron hanging on the line below. A couple cats were soon upon him, climbing up the apron and clawing at the fabric to search for him. Randy swooped up from underneath and grabbed the pocket holding Peppy in his talons. The fabric ripped, and Randy carried Peppy high enough so he could safely crawl out of the cloth. Rosiepuff helped Peppy climb up. A cat came down from above, and Peppy knocked it away with his cane. But another cat suddenly tackled Randy and sent him hurtling towards the ground.

"Pull up, Randy!" Peppy urged, ducking to avoid the cat's claws.

"Little busy here!" Randy snapped his beak at the cat. Rosiepuff jumped back to avoid the cat's claws, and she nearly fell off Randy. Peppy just managed to grab her wrist and haul her back onto the bird's back. Randy managed to flap his wings and smash the cat into a wall before he pulled up again. Randy flapped his wings and weaved his way through the clotheslines. The cats continued to follow.

"I don't suppose you have any better ideas?" Rosiepuff asked.

Randy looked around. "I think so. Just hang on tight!" The wingdingle suddenly made a hairpin turn and went for the opening of the alleyway that led to the street. Randy didn't stop when he left the alley. He went right into the street, to the terror of his riders. The cats followed. If the bergens of Bergen Town weren't freaked out before, they certainly were now. Their startled screams echoed around the street as the cats got mixed up with the traffic and resulted in utter pandemonium. Randy flew up and hovered above the street, smirking at his handiwork.

"Not bad." Rosiepuff laughed.

"Great job, Randy!" Peppy said. "Now take me to my daughter."

"Yes sir!" Randy turned and flew off towards the pet shop.

* * *

 **A/N: The seagull scene was hard for me rewrite, because I wasn't sure what animal to use. Then I thought that alley cats would be just as menacing and annoying. Which reminded me of the alley cat scene in** _ **Secret Life of Pets.**_ **Thus, this scene was born! Hope you enjoyed!**


	13. Great Escape

**A/N: Here's a climactic chapter for you! Hope you enjoy!**

 **TAPDANCING GIRAF – No, not a creator of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Just a writer who likes to toy with people's emotions. LOL**

 **Fun fact: did you know that when Chef calls Bridget "idget," it actually sounds like the Irish term "eejit," which means idiot? Totally mean, but I actually laughed the first time I heard it in the movie.**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen – Great Escape**

"Have you got my troll yet?" Chef snapped at Gristle Sr.

"Oh, are you getting one, too?" Bridget asked sweetly.

"No, she's not." Gristle Sr. droned. He smiled kindly at Bridget. "She meant the troll that is your birthday present, Miss Bridget. Oh, and a happy birthday to you."

"Thank you!" Bridget turned to a familiar teen. "Hey Grissy!"

"Hey Bridget." Gristle Jr. said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Yes, enough talking." Chef said. "Eejit—"

"Bridget." Bridget corrected.

"Whatever. Go get your troll while Gristle Sr. and I talk." Chef said.

"I'm not selling you another pet, Chef." Gristle Sr. snapped.

"But you haven't heard my proposition!" Chef protested.

Gristle Jr. approached Bridget and leaned in to whisper to her. "They're going to be like this for a while. Why don't I show you your gift?"

"That'd be great." Bridget agreed. She followed Gristle Jr. farther into the shop.

The Tank Trolls were on the verge of panic attacks. "What do we do? _What do we do?"_ Biggie whimpered.

"Everyone just calm down." Branch said. "Go hide in the shrubbery, and I'll let Bridget take me instead."

"But you can't go back to that horrible woman!" Creek protested. "Even Bridget can't protect you!"

"This is not up for debate, now go hide!" Branch ordered.

Gristle Jr. continued to talk with Bridget on the way to the tank. "Pinkie is really nice, and I think you'll like her. But, if you want, you can take another troll from the tank. I know you'll take care of them."

"I will. I promise." Bridget said. "I just love those little guys."

"Here, Pinkie is sitting right—" Gristle Jr. gasped. He quickly approached the wire cage holding Poppy. "Oh no. Dad! Dad, come quick!"

At the sound of the panic in his voice, the Tank Trolls sprinted for the glass wall of the tank. They stared in horror at Poppy's limp form lying on the floor of the wire cage. She didn't stir in the slightest. Gristle Sr. hurried over and lifted the cage to better look inside.

"Oh dear." Gristle Sr. murmured. "The poor thing."

Gristle Jr. looked like he would cry any minute now. "Is she…."

Gristle Sr. sighed and set the cage down again. "Now, son, it's all right. Maybe she just got sick."

"But she looked fine!" Gristle Jr. insisted. "I swear she was fine!"

Branch pounded on the glass. "Poppy! Poppy, please don't be dead. Please."

"Oh our poor sister." Satin sniffled, and Chenille comforted her.

Then, Poppy opened her eyes. She winked at Branch, and then went back to lying still with her eyes shut. Branch gasped. "She's not dead! She's faking it!"

"Why?" Smidge asked.

"Yes, why would she do that?" Guy Diamond asked.

"Son, we can't do anything about it now." Gristle Sr. said. "We just need to take care of her."

"I'll take her off your hands!" Chef offered.

"Back off!" Gristle Sr. snapped. "I'd rather feed that troll to Lucifer!" In fact, the watchdog leaned her front paws on the counter and sniffed at Poppy.

"Actually, Dad, I want to bury her." Gristle Jr. said. "Can I? In the backyard?"

"Of course, son." Gristle Sr. said. "Go right ahead."

"He's gonna bury her!" Suki gulped.

"No, that's perfect!" Branch said. "She can escape out that way! Lucifer will help her!"

Gristle Jr. picked up the cage holding Poppy. "Bridget, go ahead and pick another troll, if you want. I'll be right back." He held up the cage when Lucifer tried to jump up and grab it. "No, Lucifer! This isn't for you!"

Just as things were starting to go their way, Randy suddenly arrived. He perched himself at the window, making sure no one saw him. "Psst! Hey trolls! I found Poppy's dad!"

Only Smidge heard him, and she hurried over. "Really?" she asked.

Randy adjusted his position so Peppy and Rosiepuff could be seen on his back. "Where's Poppy?" Peppy asked. "Where is she?"

"Uh….." Smidge looked back to the Tank Trolls, who watched Gristle Jr. try to push Lucifer away while keeping Poppy hoisted above his head.

Peppy followed Smidge's look, and he saw Poppy in the wire cage. He gasped when Lucifer managed to clamp her teeth on the bars of the cage. "Randy, get in there!"

"I can't go in there!" Randy protested.

"Yes you can! Now move your tail!" Peppy jabbed his cane into Randy's rump, and the wingdingle screeched as he shot forward. He hit the troll tank and started flapping about the shop, startling everyone inside.

"Look out!" Gristle Jr. warned as Randy darted over his and Bridget's heads.

"What the heck is Randy doing?" Creek gawked.

"He's got Poppy's dad!" Smidge said.

"Wait, where _is_ Poppy?" Branch scanned the shop, and he realized Gristle Jr. still had a firm grip on the wire cage. Lucifer had let go of the cage and now chased Randy around the pet shop.

"Get that bird!" Chef screeched. She suddenly fell when Lucifer plowed into her legs.

Gristle Sr. grabbed a bug net from the wall and began swinging it at Randy, trying to catch the bird. "Come on, hold still! Nice birdy!"

Randy didn't like being in enclosed spaces, and he flew around wildly trying to find a way out while also searching for Poppy. He narrowly avoided Gristle Sr.'s net. Peppy and Rosiepuff buried themselves in the feathers on the back of Randy's neck for protection. It was so disorienting that they couldn't even take a moment to search for Poppy again. Meanwhile, Poppy did her best to lay still and play dead until Gristle Jr. could take her outside. It wasn't easy to do so when Gristle Jr. kept swinging the cage around.

Gristle Jr. and Bridget slammed into each other, and Gristle Jr. dropped the cage. "Bridget, watch out!"

"Huh?" Bridget yelped as she fell right on the wire cage, breaking the flimsy thing apart. Gristle Jr. quickly helped her up.

"All of you, stay here!" Branch darted to the hole in the tank and made his way to the cabinet door.

Randy made a quick turn, and Gristle Sr. couldn't stop himself before he tripped over a stack of pet beds. Hovering in place, Randy finally found a moment to catch his breath. Peppy climbed up and looked around for the wire cage that held Poppy. He found the broken cage on the ground, and a strangled gasp escaped his throat when he saw his daughter's seemingly lifeless body lying in the wreckage. Time seemed to slow to a halt as Peppy stared in horror.

"Poppy….." Peppy felt his heart pounding. _She's gone….she's gone….she…_

Rosiepuff noticed Peppy's look, and she followed his gaze. She gasped. "Oh, no."

Quite suddenly, the chaos returned. Gristle Sr. threw his son's coat over Randy and held the bird in a firm yet gentle grip. "Okay, take it easy!" Gristle Sr. said as Randy struggled.

"Poppy!" Peppy shouted.

Poppy perked up when she heard the muffled shout. "Dad?"

"Out with you, go on!" Gristle Sr. made it out the front door of the shop and threw Randy into the air. The wingdingle flew off with Peppy and Rosiepuff in tow.

"Princess!" Branch hurried to Poppy's side and helped her stand. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Poppy said. "Did I hear my dad?"

"Look out!" Branch pulled Poppy away just before the bristles of a broom could hit them. Branch hoisted Poppy onto his back and ran off with her while Chef chased them around with a broom in her hands.

"Stop that!" Gristle Jr. shouted. "Leave them alone!" Bridget hid behind the front desk, and Gristle Sr. was pushed right into a shelf by Chef. The shelf toppled over, and Branch and Poppy disappeared under it. Chef continued to stab one end of the broom into the mess, searching for the trolls.

Guy Diamond glared hatefully. "That's it! No more sitting around!"

"We have to help them!" Smidge agreed.

"Tank Trolls!" Creek called. "Operation: Berry Bomb!"

"Let's do it!" Satin and Chenille said simultaneously. They lowered their loop of hair, and Biggie pushed back against the loop until it stretched back quite a ways away, like a slingshot.

"Ready?" Creek called.

Biggie pulled an acorn cap over his and Mr. Dinkles' heads like helmets. "Ready!"

"Aim!" Creek ordered.

Suki and Fuzzbert positioned the makeshift slingshot to the lid of the tank. "Ready!" Suki called.

"Fire!" Creek commanded.

Satin and Chenille launched Biggie and Mr. Dinkles into the lid, breaking it open and sending them soaring. "We can fly, Mr. Dinkles!" Biggie cheered.

"Mew!" Mr. Dinkles said.

"Let's go, trolls!" Creek urged. With Satin and Chenille's help, the trolls could bounce out of the tank, pull the twins along with them, and run right for Chef. They threw things at her, pushed stuff off shelves to land on her, and yanked on her hair. Chef smacked at them and tried to brush them off, but it seemed nothing would stop them. Creek and Suki helped Branch and Poppy crawl out of the mess from the fallen shelf. The two crippled trolls were unharmed, thankfully, and could join in the scuffle. When Chef backed up, trying to get away from the trolls, Branch and Poppy looped their hair together and stretched it out, tripping Chef and causing her to stumble until she landed face-first into a fish tank full of crabs. When she pulled her face out of the water, one of those crabs pinched her nose and two more grabbed her ears.

"Get 'em off!" Chef shrieked. "Get 'em off!"

"All right, all right!" Gristle Sr. huffed. "Just hold still!"

Gristle Jr. grabbed a cat carrier. "Bridget, quick! Help me gather the trolls." Bridget finally came out of hiding and helped Gristle Jr. scoop up the Tank Trolls and deposit them gently into the cat carrier. They ignored Chef and Gristle Sr. arguing about the mess of the shop and who was going to clean it up. Chef quickly shut her trap when Gristle Sr. mentioned that he would be calling the police to force her to clean up.

"Is that all of them?" Bridget asked Gristle Jr.

After doing a quick hair count, Gristle Jr. looked around and saw only Ash was missing. "Come here, Ash. Come to your friends." Branch obeyed, though he was confused as to why Gristle Jr. put them in a traveling cage. Gristle Jr. put the grey troll with his friends, and he left the carrier with Bridget before going to his father. "Hey, Dad? Bridget and I are going to get some ice cream."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Gristle Sr. said, handing his son some money. "Chef is going to be cleaning up for a while. You two go have fun."

"Thanks!" Gristle Jr. led Bridget away, taking the cat carrier from her.

"Ice cream does sound nice." Bridget said. "But why are we taking the trolls?"

"You'll see." Gristle Jr. said. "We just need to make one quick stop."

Bridget was confused, but just shrugged and let Gristle Jr. lead the way. Inside the cat carrier, the trolls were confused as to what was happening but thankful everyone was okay. Poppy was praised for her cleverness, and Branch hailed for his bravery. But it was Branch who insisted that the rest of the Tank Trolls were the bravest for coming to help. Poppy only regretted not seeing her father. She was so close to being reunited with him. Branch reassured her. After all, if he was just there, they'd be able to meet up again soon, right? Meanwhile, Gristle Jr. and Bridget walked through downtown, out of Bergen Town, and across a small meadow that sat between Bergen Town and the edge of the forest.

Gristle Jr. knelt on the ground and peered into the cat carrier. He smiled at Ash. "Why do I get the feeling that whole thing was your idea?" Branch shrugged sheepishly. Gristle Jr. laughed. "I know I promised I would always take care of you guys. But I think I haven't been giving you everything you needed. You guys are my best friends, and I love you so much. But I see now that all you need is to be free." Gristle Jr. set the carrier down and opened the door. Tentatively, the Tank Trolls exited the carrier. They looked to Gristle Jr. "Go on. Go be free. Ash will take care of you. Won't you, Ash?"

Branch saluted to Gristle Jr. "You can count on me, Gris."

Gristle Jr. didn't understand his troll friend, but he knew it would be all right. "You guys are going to be just find. Ash is the best alpha you could ask for. Maybe come back and visit sometime, okay?"

Despite his intense desire to leave the tank, Branch didn't think leaving Gristle Jr. would be this hard. He walked up, and Gristle Jr. held out his hand. Branch patted Gristle's hand, smiling in thanks. The Tank Trolls gathered around to hug the bergen as best they could. Then, with sad smiles on their faces, they turned and disappeared into the forest with Branch guiding them.

"I'm gonna miss that boy." Smidge said. The other trolls nodded in agreement.

"We owe him a lot." Branch said. "We'll find a way to thank him later. For now, we have an important mission: finding Poppy's dad. We just missed him, so he can't be far."

Poppy hugged Branch. "Thank you. For everything."

Branch smiled warmly and returned the embrace. A blue tinge appeared on his grey skin. "Let's get you home."

Bridget patted Gristle's shoulder as he stood. "You did a good thing."

"Well, they deserve it." Gristle said. "It's what's best. In fact, I think this is a huge first step for me. After Dad gives me the pet shop when I'm old enough, I want to turn some of the shop area into a rehabilitation center."

"That's a wonderful idea." Bridget said. "You already have a prospective employee who will help, if you like."

"Thanks." Gristle said. "Now come on. I still owe you that ice cream." The two of them walked off, happy yet sad at the same time, and hoping that the trolls would be all right.

Unseen by Gristle Jr. and Bridget, a short distance away, a couple teenage bergens pack up their campsite and prepare to return home. One of them was already packed while the other still had to stuff his sleeping bag in his backpack.

"Would you hurry it up?" the first bergen snapped.

"Hey, this thing is hard to repack!" The second managed to punch the sleeping bag into place and slung his pack over his shoulder.

"Great. Let's go." The first one urged.

"But what about the fire?" The second bergen glanced to the small embers in the fire pit.

"The embers will die out on their own. Now let's go." The first bergen said impatiently, already starting down the trail. The second bergen glanced to the dying embers, shrugged, and joined his friend.

Unseen by the campers, the wind picked up and stirred the embers back to life.

* * *

Randy was silent as he flew over Bergen Town. Clouds shrouded the sky as the wingdingle landed where the lake met the forest. He lowered himself down so Peppy and Rosiepuff could slide off him easier. Neither troll spoke. Peppy's eyes lost all their light, and Rosiepuff hadn't stopped looking at him worriedly.

"I'm so sorry." Randy said. "Truly. Your daughter was an amazing little girl." He wasn't sure what else to say. He feared he would make things worse by continuing to talk. So Randy bid the trolls a sad farewell and flew off. Peppy and Rosiepuff turned and walked into the trees, ducking under some shrubbery. After a moment, they came to a creek, and Peppy stopped.

Rosiepuff stared at Peppy. She felt she had to say something. Anything to get him to talk to her. "Peppy? Look, it'll—"

"Rosiepuff," Peppy interrupted her in a soft voice. "I meant what I said back in the hill monster. If it weren't for you, I never would've gotten here. So, thank you." Peppy turned and began walking towards the creek.

"Whoa, wait a minute." Rosiepuff stepped in his path. "Where are you going?"

"Home. Where else?" Peppy shrugged numbly. "Poppy's gone. I couldn't save her. So I'm going home. Alone." He stepped around Rosiepuff to keep going.

"Alone? But….." Rosiepuff was at a loss for words, and then she blurted out, "Stop!" Peppy stopped in his tracks, but he wouldn't turn to look at Rosiepuff. "Please, don't go. Okay, I know I've done so much to annoy you and make you wish I would just leave you alone, but I don't want you to leave. You shared your story with me and I shared my pain with you. And I feel like…like I look at you, and I'm….I'm home…..." She sighed. "I feel like I have a family again. I almost forgot what that felt like. And I don't want to let that go. I don't want to be alone."

If Peppy's heart could break anymore, it would now. Truthfully, he did want to have Rosiepuff stay with him, for company and a shoulder to lean on. But Rosiepuff reminded him of his failed mission to save his daughter, reminded him of his biggest mistake. He just couldn't live with that pain.

"I'm sorry, Rosiepuff. But I do." Peppy said.

Rosiepuff stared at him, feeling her heart shatter. She watched him climb up onto a fallen tree branch laying across the creek. Then, as he got to the middle of the creek, Rosiepuff ran after Peppy and grabbed his arm.

"You promised." She said. "You promised you would help me find my grandson. Let's go back to Bergen Town and then—"

"Open your eyes, Rosiepuff!" Peppy snapped. "You've been looking for your grandson for ten years! He's already dead!"

"That's not true." Rosiepuff insisted.

Peppy twisted his arm around of her grip. "If my daughter couldn't survive a week in Bergen Town, what makes you think your grandson lived ten years as a prisoner to one of those monsters? He's been dead for years. Accept it now, before you get hurt."

"He's not dead. I know he's not."

"No, you _hope_ he's not. But he is."

"You promised you'd help me find him."

"I didn't mean it."

"Oh, so you're only going to help me as long as it's convenient for you?"

"Let it go, Rosiepuff." Peppy jumped to a pile of thin sticks and grass on the banks of the creek.

"Hey, hold it!" Rosiepuff leaped over to the stick and grass pile. "Listen to me. I—" She and Peppy froze when they heard cracking, and they realized the stick-and-grass foundation at their feet was far from stable. Rosiepuff shoved Peppy backwards and onto solid ground right before the sticks broke apart and dumped her into the deep creek. The current swept her away.

"Rose!" Peppy sprinted along the banks of the river, following Rosiepuff as she struggled in the strong current. Peppy reached some rocks atop a short decline, and he threw his hair out into the water. Rosiepuff managed to grab hold, and she held on tight so the water wouldn't pull her away. She managed to pull herself onto the sand, coughing. Peppy reeled his hair back in and climbed down the rocks. He ran over and helped her stand. "Rosiepuff, are you—"

"Don't touch me!" Rosiepuff shouted, shoving him away. "Just get away from me!"

"I was only trying to help." Peppy said.

"You've never helped! You were always a distraction! I wasted so much time trying to help _you_!" Rosiepuff shouted.

"Well it wasn't exactly a joy to travel across the forest with you!" Peppy yelled. "I wish I never met you!"

"I wish I _did_ have short-term memory loss just so I _could_ forget you!" Rosiepuff countered.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"I never needed you anyway!" Peppy snapped. "And you don't need anyone to help you find Branch because you're _never_ _going_ to find him!"

Rosiepuff's glare faltered, and true hurt shined in her eyes. "Fine." She turned away from Peppy, but her trembling shoulders gave away her sorrow. Peppy's angry expression melted, and he sighed in defeat. He knew there was nothing he could say to make this better. He turned and walked towards the forest. When Peppy heard something hit the sand, he turned back and saw Rosiepuff had collapsed to her knees. She could quiet her sobs, but she couldn't hide the tears streaming down her face. Part of Peppy wanted to go down there and comfort her. But the other part of him doubted he could do anything to fix the mess he made. Sighing softly, Peppy continued his journey into the forest and left Rosiepuff behind.


	14. Fire!

**A/N: I loved your reactions to the last chapter! Hope this one garners some great ones, too!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen – Fire!**

Based on Branch's logic, that Randy would've dropped off Poppy's dad at the edge of the forest, the Tank Trolls decided to start their search at the tree line. They called for him as loud as they could and scanned the greenery. But half an hour passed and they still hadn't found anything.

"He couldn't have gotten far, right?" Poppy asked.

"I don't think so." Branch said. "But don't worry. We'll find him. Or we can even send a message through the forest. We can find a way to let him know that we're bringing you home. Word spreads fast when the news is important enough. Remember how your dad's story reached the tank?"

"We should at least find some shelter before dark." Guy Diamond suggested.

"Maybe sooner." Creek glanced to the clouds overhead, which had grown darker.

The Tank Trolls paused when they reached the lake. Branch noticed a spot where the lake fed into a creek, and he instructed the trolls to follow it. But even following the creek didn't yield any signs or clues to Peppy's whereabouts. Even worse, the Tank Trolls were growing tired. They had missed breakfast from all the chaos and confusion that morning, and now it was lunchtime. Branch found some bushes that had berries that were safe to eat, and he let his little pack rest on the side of the creek while he scouted ahead to look for any trouble. He took his role as alpha seriously, especially now that they were outside the safety of the tank. He may be down one arm, but that'd didn't hinder his fighting abilities.

The more he thought about it, the more thankful Branch was for Gristle Jr. releasing them at last. He and his little pack…..no, his _family_ were free. They could live in the forest like they were supposed to, and he would care for them like a big brother would watch over his siblings. He seriously considered living near Poppy, in the part of the forest where she lived. At least then he knew there would be friends nearby while the Tank Trolls learned to live in the wild. Branch glanced to his hand and smiled at the sight of his skin. It was blue-grey instead of fully grey. He had Poppy to thank for that. She helped bring back a little happiness into his life.

Branch came to a collection of rocks and stoop on top of them. He scanned the area for any potential predators. He saw nothing and he heard nothing and he smelled nothing. It put him at ease. "No danger here. Nothing to harm them. Good." He turned to walk back to his family.

Then, he paused. His ears twitched. He _did_ hear something. It sound like….crying?

Branch crouched on the rocks. The crying sounded like it came from right below him. Branch hung onto the edge of the rock and stuck his head down below, hanging upside-down to stare into a small cave. He couldn't see much, but he did notice a figure in the shadows. The muffled sobs came from the figure.

"Hello?" Branch called.

The figure's breathing hitched. "Y-yes?"

"Are you okay in there?" Branch asked. He hopped down to stand at the entrance of the cave.

"Oh, I'm fine." The figure said sarcastically. "Just lost my only friend."

Branch pitied the poor creature. "Well, is there anyone else out here to be there for you?"

"I only ever had one troll who was my family, and I lost him years ago." The figure said.

"Okay. Would you like to stay with me and my pack? We might be able to help you." Branch offered.

"That's sweet, but I think I'll pass." The figure said. "You don't want someone like me around."

"I doubt that." Branch said encouragingly. "Besides, my grandma told me you should never pass up an opportunity to help someone, even if you—"

"Don't get anything in return." The figure finished. Branch could see the light reflecting in the creature's eyes. "Who told you that?"

"My grandma." Branch said. "She was the best. Kind and patient, strong and protective. She was my whole world. She was taken from me…well, actually, I was taken from her by—"

"A bergen?" the figure asked. Branch could see the outline of a troll in the shadows.

"Yes." Branch was shocked that the figure knew what he was going to say. "How did you know that?"

The troll fully emerged from the cave, and the light revealed her to be someone Branch thought he'd never see again. Rosiepuff stared at Branch, looking at him from the tip of his hair and down to his toes. He was so much older, with so many more scars, and much more grey and black in his skin and hair. His eyes, though, shined with a familiar light.

"Branch?" Rosiepuff breathed.

Branch didn't answer, still staring in shock. Rosiepuff hesitantly walked up to him and put a hand to his cheek. Tears welled up in Branch's eyes, and Rosiepuff smiled when she realized it. Even with his scars, with his greyness, she knew this was the same little boy she lost so long ago. She pulled Branch into a tight hug, and he held onto her like he would never let go. He hardly noticed the light passing over him that fully restored his cerulean skin and sapphire blue hair. Branch almost couldn't believe it. When he saw that bergen hit his grandmother, he believed her to be dead all this time. Had he known she was out here all this time, he would've tried harder to get out of that tank.

"I knew you were still alive." Rosiepuff breathed.

"I didn't." Branch laughed airily. "I thought you were gone."

"No. I never stopped searching for you. I knew I'd find you someday." Rosiepuff said.

Branch broke the embrace and wiped his eyes dry. "I can't believe you're here. I thought I'd never see you again." He noticed his grandmother staring at his scars and limp arm, and he forced out a sheepish chuckle. "Yeah, I can explain that."

Rosiepuff shook her head with a smile. "I'll be sure to destroy the one who did that to you later. Didn't you say you have a pack waiting for you?"

"Oh yeah!" Branch said. "Come on! You _must_ meet them!"

Rosiepuff laughed at Branch's enthusiasm and let him lead her back to the Tank Trolls. She kept hugging him on the way, still so overwhelmed by her joy.

The Tank Trolls were quite surprised to see Branch approach with another troll beside him. When Branch started shouting that he found his grandmother, the trolls all gathered around excitedly. Poppy was the last to get there, ecstatic by this wonderful news. Rosiepuff was introduced to each of the Tank Trolls, and she was pleased to see Branch found a family while away from her. It meant he wasn't as lonely as she was all these years.

"This is our newest member!" Creek gestured to Poppy as the girl hobbled up. "She's Poppy."

"It's very nice to meet—" Rosiepuff froze when she saw Poppy's amputated leg. "Holy hair. Your Peppy's daughter."

Poppy gasped. "You know my daddy?" She yelped when Rosiepuff suddenly picked her up and spun her around.

"Oh you're alive you're alive you're alive! I can't believe you're alive!" Rosiepuff hugged Poppy, nearly squeezing the life out of her.

"Remind me how I know you?" Poppy asked.

"I know your dad! I've been traveling with him across the forest!" Rosiepuff said. "We thought you were dead!"

"Wait, you were in the pet shop too?" Biggie asked.

"Never mind that!" Branch said. "Grandma, where is Poppy's father now?"

Rosiepuff gasped and she looked around. "This way! He went this way! Hurry!" The Tank Trolls followed Rosiepuff through the trees and away from the creek. Branch scooped up Poppy and carried her on his back so they could move faster. Unfortunately, they didn't find any sign of Peppy for a while.

"Hey you!" Branch led everyone to a couple snake creatures, which were only about the size of gardener snakes and completely harmless.

"Excuse me, have you seen a troll come through here?" Rosiepuff asked. "He's got wild hair a similar shade to hers?" She pointed to Poppy's hair.

One of the snakes tapped his lip with the tip of his tail. "Maybe we have, maybe we haven't."

"Well, _have_ you?" Creek demanded.

"Perhaps if we had something to jog our memories." The other snake suggested.

"Really? You can't just give us the answers we need out of the goodness of your hearts?" Suki snapped.

"Afraid not, darling." The first snake slithered up to Rosiepuff. "What do you say, granny? Got something for us in exchange for our information?"

Rosiepuff smiled sweetly. "Oh, I think we can work something out."

 _Two minutes later_

" _AAAAAHHHHHH!"_ the snake screamed simultaneously, desperately trying to avoid the beaks of the bird chicks snapping at them. Rosiepuff held the snakes with her hair, dangling them over a bird nest from a tree branch higher up.

"That's my grandma." Branch said proudly. Poppy giggled.

Rosiepuff pulled the snakes up and frowned at them. "Ready to talk?"

"Yes! Yes!" one of the snakes cried fearfully. "He passed by ten minutes ago!"

"He went that way!" the second snake pointed in one direction. "Towards the Hyacinth Highway!"

"Thank you, gentlemen." Rosiepuff said. "You have been very helpful." She flicked her hair up and sent the two snakes flying into the branches above.

* * *

Peppy hadn't felt this level of sorrow since Joy and Poppy's twin were killed. He was numb to everything around him. After losing his wife and one of his children, who hadn't even begun to live, Peppy cursed the world and any gods who existed for the unfairness. He had wondered if he did something in a previous life to bring this curse upon him. Poppy had been his light, his tiny beacon of hope, that kept him going. Now, she was gone, too, and Peppy began to believe he deserved it. After all, he promised to keep her safe, and all he did was neglect to give her the life she deserved. He failed as a father. Or perhaps he never should've been a father.

 _Maybe I don't even have to go home._ Peppy thought. He stared at the ground as he walked, only looking up now and then to see if the river leading to the Hyacinth Highway had come into view yet. _Maybe I just need to wander the forest until I die. Or maybe I just need to crawl into a hole and die. Who would miss me, anyway? Joy is waiting for me. So is Poppy and her brother or sister. Rosiepuff doesn't need more, nor does she want me around. So why shouldn't I—_

"Dad!"

Peppy paused, but then kept walking. _I'm just imagining that. I've been hallucinating Poppy's voice for days. What if I forget what it sounds like?_

"Daddy!"

Peppy stopped, and he slowly turned around. He hadn't hallucinated _that._ "Poppy….."

"Daddy!"

There! Far away from him, running through the trees, was a small pack of trolls, with a familiar pink one riding on the back of a blue one.

"Poppy?" Peppy gasped.

"Peppy!" Rosiepuff called. "Poppy's alive!"

"Rose…" Peppy smiled broadly and started running towards the trolls. "Poppy!"

Branch let Poppy down so she could hobble towards her father. The Tank Trolls and Rosiepuff slowed to a walk, watching with wide smiles.

"Dad!" Poppy shouted, jumping right into her father's arms once she was close enough. She practically tackled him to the ground, and Peppy hugged her as tight as he could without hurting her. Happy tears trickled out from their eyes. Peppy kissed his daughter's head half a dozen times, holding onto her just to make sure this wasn't a dream. Rosiepuff and Tank Trolls caught up, and several of them had to wipe away happy tears.

Peppy looked up to Rosiepuff. "Thank you." He breathed. Rosiepuff only nodded, assuring him no thanks was needed. Peppy gave Poppy another squeeze. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Poppy sniffled as she pulled away from her father. "Dad, I don't hate you."

"No, no, no." Peppy shushed her gently. "It's okay. I'm just so sorry, Poppy. This shouldn't have happened."

Poppy hugged her father again. "Can we go home now?"

"Of course." Peppy nodded. "I can tell you right now it's going to be quite an adventure getting back." Poppy giggled, wiping her eyes dry.

Creek sniffed a few times. "Come on, Creek. Keep it together." Branch teased playfully.

"I'm not crying." Creek said. "Something just smells…funny…"

Branch sniffed the air. "Huh. What is that?"

"It smells like something's…." Creek's eyes widened as he looked past Branch. "Burning."

Everyone turned, and their eyes widened to see smoke rising in the sky and the flames of a wildfire charging for them.

"Run for it!" Peppy urged, handing Poppy her crutches. The trolls took off. Other animals of the forest flew or ran past them, desperately trying to escape the flames. It didn't take long, however, for the fire to creep up and overtake them. The trolls continued to run, to search for any way to evade the fire and certain death. They began to cough from the smoke.

Then, a burning tree started to fall, and the trolls scattered. The tree landed on another, stopping its fall but scattering burning branches across the ground.

"Everyone okay?" Branch called.

"No!" Creek shouted back. It soon became apparent that the burning branches separated Rosiepuff, Poppy, Creek, Satin, and Chenille from the rest of the group.

"What do we do?" Satin called.

"Branch, help us!" Chenille called.

"Just hang on!" Branch said, scanning the burning debris. "I'll figure this out!"

As Poppy stared at the flames around her, she suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute. Karma covered this is her safety lesson from the first day of school!"

"Poppy! Are you okay?" Peppy called. He could still see his daughter on the other side of the flames.

"I'm fine, Dad! I know what to do!" Poppy called back. "We need to get to some water! A river or the lake or something!"

"I was heading towards a river that's just northeast of us." Peppy said. "It's that way!"

"Great, let's go!" Poppy said. "We have to back up to the water, and we'll be safe!"

"She's right." Branch said. "We'll be safer in the water while the fire burns over."

Peppy stared at Poppy. He just got her back. He couldn't lose her again. "Poppy—"

"Dad, I can do this." Poppy assured. "I'll meet you at the river, okay?"

Though he wanted to protest, though he still feared for her safety, Peppy finally saw the strength in his daughter. He saw how much she had grown in a short amount of time. The conviction in her voice and determination in her eyes told him she would be all right.

"Okay." Peppy nodded. "Okay. I'll meet you at the river. Promise."

"I promise." Poppy nodded. She led her group away and they disappeared.

"All right, you guys follow me!" Peppy ordered his group of trolls. "We'll head this way!"

With Poppy leading them, Rosiepuff, Creek, Satin, and Chenille navigated their way through the burning forest and towards the river. It wasn't the safest option, but it would decrease their risk of injury and asphyxiation. There wasn't much space to run, and the trolls had to constantly dodge flaming debris falling from the trees.

However, the fire moved faster than them, and a large burning tree branch fell and nearly landed on them. Rosiepuff and Poppy were separated from their group.

"Keep going!" Poppy called. "We'll meet you at the river!"

Reluctantly, Creek and the twins obeyed, and they ran off. Poppy and Rosiepuff ran the other way, hoping they could get around the debris and on the right track. Creek made sure his sisters stayed close as they ran. Ash dusted their skin and they coughed from the smoke. After what seemed like hours, they saw a familiar group of trolls waving them down from the shores of a river. Branch ran up to meet them and guided the trio to a section of sand far enough away from the brush. The current was calmer here, so backing into the water was an option if flaming debris flew their way.

"What happened to my grandma?" Branch asked.

"And where's Poppy?" Peppy asked.

"We got separated running from the fire." Creek said. "They said they'll meet us here."

"We need to go look for them!" Suki urged.

"No! That's a death wish." Branch said. He had a rueful frown on his lips, indicating he hated saying what he said next. "We have to wait here, as hard as it may be, and trust that they'll be okay. Right, Peppy?"

The Tank Trolls looked to the adult of the group for confirmation. Peppy stared at the wildfire. He, too, wanted to run in there and bring the girls to safety. But he couldn't deny Branch's logic. He sighed softly. "They'll be all right. we have to wait here until the fire burns over."

Reluctantly, the Tank Trolls settled in the decision and prayed their friends would be all right.

Meanwhile, Poppy and Rosiepuff moved as fast as they could but still struggled to find a way out of the fire. Instead of heading towards the river, they seemed to be moving in circles. Everywhere they turned, something was burning. The smoke invaded their lungs and made them cough.

"I don't think we'll find the river." Poppy said. "We have to hide somewhere!" She wobbled a little, but Rosiepuff steadied her. The older troll scanned the area. It was mostly fire everywhere with the exception of one black spot in a nearby hill. Upon further inspection, Rosiepuff realized it was an animal hole. She didn't have time to consider whether or not something lived in it. She guided Poppy to the hole just as the fire consumed the path they just walked in. Rosiepuff and Poppy realized the hole wasn't that deep, blocked by a rock. They sat as far away from the entrance as possible, leaning against the wall of the cave. The heat and smoke from the fire blew into the hole. Flames sometimes clawed their way in, but thankfully didn't reach the two trolls. Rosiepuff made sure she sat between Poppy and the hole entrance. She coughed harshly, ash dusting her skin like spots. Poppy coughed, too, clearly struggling.

"Easy, now." Rosiepuff said soothingly. "Everything's going to be all right."

Poppy stared at Rosiepuff with a glazed look in her eyes. Quite suddenly, she slumped forward and passed out. Rosiepuff steadied the girl. She slipped her coat off and draped the knit clothing over Poppy's head to keep her from inhaling too much smoke. Rosiepuff pulled Poppy into a protective embrace, and she eyed the flames outside warily.

"Everything will be fine." Rosiepuff coughed. "I don't know how, but you're going to be okay."

* * *

 **A/N: Ha! Take that cliffhanger!**


	15. Home

**A/N: Here's the final chapter! I almost forgot how much I love doing these adaptations. But I don't want to keep you all waiting too long for the next installment of the** _ **Flame of Happiness Trilogy**_ **. This week, I will be putting in some work and writing some chapters so I can update in a timely manner. I expect the first chapter to be on Friday or Saturday.**

 **Neomoon585 – Yes, I do love to torture you with cliffhangers.**

 **TAPDANCING GIRAF – If you** _ **had**_ **been surprised, I would've been surprised by you being surprised.**

 **Cupcake – Yes, I'm quite satisfied with myself.**

 **At the end of this chapter, I will post the winners of the poll I put up on my profile!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen – Home**

The fire burned for an hour or two. But the rainclouds from before soon came through. Soon, a soft drizzle turned into a downpour that doused the wildfire. The Tank Trolls and Peppy hid under a collection of unburned mushrooms until they knew it was safe. The downpour transitioned to a steady rain, but the trolls paid no mind to the cold wetness as they searched for their missing members.

"Poppy!" Peppy shouted into the rain. "Poppy, where are you?"

"Grandma!" Branch called. "Poppy! Answer us!"

"Where could they be?" Creek wondered anxiously.

"They couldn't have gotten far." Branch assured. "We just have to keep looking."

Smidge popped up from a hole in some tree roots. "No sign of them here!"

"Nothing up here!" Satin and Chenille called from a tree.

Branch noticed Peppy's anxious look. "Hey, I'm worried too. But we'll find them. I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right." Peppy said. "I just got her back. I can't lose her again." He looked down shamefully. "Plus, I have some things I need to say to your grandmother. We did not part on the best of terms."

Branch nodded in understanding. "Your daughter is an exceptionally strong troll, even with her disability. I'm certain she found someplace safe to hide."

"I can see how much she's grown." Peppy said. "I wish I hadn't stopped her from learning to adapt. I'm indebted to you, Branch, for teaching her. Thank you."

Branch smiled. Before he could respond, he heard Fuzzbert's panicked garbling. The green troll gestured with his hair for the others to follow him. The other trolls ran after Fuzzbert, and they were ecstatically relieved to see Poppy emerge from an animal hole just ahead.

"Oh we're so happy you're safe!" Creek said as the Tank Trolls enveloped her in a group hug.

"Very resourceful, Princess." Branch complimented.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Peppy inspected his daughter for any burns.

"I'm fine, Dad. But there's something wrong with Branch's grandma!" Poppy said. Branch lost all the color in his face when he heard this. Peppy followed his daughter into the animal hole, and his eyes widened when he saw Rosiepuff lying deathly still on the ground. He carefully lifted her into his arms and brought her out of the hole, where he had more light to better assess her injuries. He knelt down with Rosiepuff still unmoving in his arms.

Only Branch approached his grandmother, his tank-mates wisely staying back. "Grandma?" Branch gently shook her shoulder. "Come on, please don't do this to me. You have to wake up!"

"Rose?" Peppy couldn't hear a definite breath. Rosiepuff was covered in ash spots, and her bandages were singed. "Rosiepuff, please wake up. You can't leave. Not yet. You found your grandson, remember?"

Still, Rosiepuff didn't move. Branch collapsed to his knees, squeezing his eyes shut as tears threatened to spill out.

"Rosiepuff, please don't go." Peppy begged. "I didn't mean what I said back then. I was just angry, and I say stupid things when I'm angry." He glanced to Poppy. "I seem to have a habit of that. But you have to know I didn't mean it. You proved me wrong. You found your grandson, even after I broke my promise. I know I said a lot of things to you, but the one very truest thing I never said was that you are my friend." Peppy sighed, filled with regret. "I'm such an idiot. I'm an idiot and a jerk and paranoid and..."

"A cotton-headed ninny-muggins?"

"Yeah, a cotton-headed—" Peppy froze, and he looked down. Rosiepuff smiled tiredly at him. "You're alive!" Peppy laughed, pulling Rosiepuff into a hug. The Tank Trolls cheered, thankful they didn't lose anyone in the fire. Poppy hugged Branch, who looked like he would collapse from relief.

"I haven't had a friend like you in a long time." Rosiepuff said as Peppy helped her stand. She wiped away her happy tears. "I'm glad we literally ran into each other."

"Me, too." Peppy agreed. He stepped back to let Branch hug his grandmother, and he opened his arms for Poppy to jump into them. "Hey Poppy. Guess what?"

"What?" Poppy asked.

"I met a llama-troll." Peppy said.

Poppy gasped excitedly. "Really?"

Peppy pulled from his hair the picture of him, Rosiepuff, Cooper, and Harper. He chuckled at Poppy's slack-jawed reaction. "And you'll get to meet him and his daughter on our way home."

Poppy looked to Rosiepuff and the Tank Trolls. "Can they come too? And live with us in the oak tree?"

"Are you kidding? Where else are they going to go?" Peppy asked with a smile. "They're family, after all."

"And this oak tree." Creek said. "Is it safe? Are there fun things to do?"

"You bet." Peppy nodded. "Come on. I'll show you."

* * *

Not only did Cooper and Harper guide the travelers upriver and back to Peppy and Poppy's home, they decided to stick around and visit for a while. Everyone in the neighborhood talked about what happened. After believing Peppy and Poppy were dead, the trolls practically begged for answers. The entire story was told several times, yet Peppy never grew tired of it. He was thankful he succeeded.

Peppy and Poppy did reach an understanding, and Peppy allowed his daughter to explore more (under Branch's or the Tank Trolls' supervision, of course). Rosiepuff adopted all of Branch's friends, and they all moved into a couple pods just a few branches up from Peppy and Poppy. Branch and Rosiepuff helped the Tank Trolls adapt to living in the wild. Soon, they realized just how much more fun it was living outside a tank.

All in all, life had improved greatly for the little family.

"I'm gonna win!" Peppy teased playfully, racing his daughter to school.

"Not this time!" Poppy stretched out her hair to grab a bush branch, and she launched herself over her father's head. "Wheee!"

"Heads up! Princess on the loose!" Peppy called.

Branch turned just in time to catch Poppy in his hair. "Nice flying, Princess."

"I beat Daddy here!" Poppy cheered, leaning on her crutches.

Peppy was a little out of breath by the time he arrived. "I really am getting old."

"You're not the only one." Rosiepuff laughed. "Now, Poppy, I need you to keep an eye on your friends. They can be troublemakers."

"Us?" Creek asked, gesturing to the Tank Trolls, who whistled innocently. "Never!"

Poppy giggled. "Don't worry! They'll love it at school!"

"Good morning!" Cooper called as he and Harper approached. "Harper's ready for her first day!"

"Great!" Poppy said, leading the kids off to meet with the other schoolchildren. "You'll love art class, Harper. We're doing finger and toe painting today!"

"Hey, look who it is!" North laughed as he, Axel, and Blossom came up to the adults. "Haven't seen you all week, Peppy."

"Just helping my new neighbors settle in." Peppy said.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rosiepuff." Blossom said. "And your grandchildren are so darling."

"Thank you." Rosiepuff said. "I think they'll enjoy living here."

"And your kid is quite the…..ah, _colorful_ child, Cooper." North said.

"I still can't believe how you three met." Axel said. "Come on, be serious. Did you actually do all those things you said you did?"

"Pardon me."

The trolls looked up, and Axel, North, and Blossom gasped when they saw a trio of crocodiles before them. "Hello." Barnabas greeted. Axel fainted quite promptly.

"Oh, don't be alarmed." Steve said.

"We're just on our way to the river for the next step of the program, and we were hoping our mentor could come along for emotional support." Irwin added, looking to Rosiepuff.

"I would be delighted." Rosiepuff said. "Any interventions lately?"

"Nope!" the crocodiles said proudly.

"And just in case there's blood in the area, Steve and Irwin are prepared." Barnabas said with a sheepish smile. His friends each held up a wooden mallet, clearly prepared to knock their buddy unconscious if he ever went into another feeding frenzy.

"Very good." Rosiepuff nodded.

"All right, children!" Karma called. "We're off!" The kids waved goodbye to their parents as they walked off.

"Oh, wait! Miss Karma! I forgot something!" Poppy hobbled back towards her father. Peppy met her halfway, worried he had forgotten to give Poppy her lunchbox or something. But instead, she jumped up and hugged him. "Love you, Dad."

Peppy held her close. "Love you, too." He kissed her head and helped her back onto her crutches. He checked that her knee pad and boot were secure, and then ushered her off. "Now go have fun."

"Thanks! Bye Cooper! Bye Rosiepuff!" Poppy called as she left.

"See ya later, Little Pinkie!" Cooper called.

"See you after school!" Rosiepuff waved.

"Bye Dad!" Poppy waved one more time.

Peppy smiled warmly. For the first time, he was confident his daughter would be okay. "Bye Poppy."

* * *

 **A/N: How was that? I loved doing this adaptation! I'll be doing more after I finished** _ **Flame of Happiness.**_ **After checking the polls, the winner is…** _ **Moana!**_ **I know a lot of you have waited for that one, so I'll get some work done on that!** _ **Snow White,**_ **which was previously trailing, came up from behind and passed** _ **The Black Cauldron**_ **for second place. Now, I'm still interested in doing** _ **The Black Cauldron,**_ **but I do these adaptations to please my readers, so I'll start with** _ **Moana**_ **and** _ **Snow White.**_

 **Keep an eye out for the first chapter of** _ **The Flame of Happiness Trilogy!**_


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